REVIEW: Loopmancer on PC (Steam)

Loopmancer is the latest 2D/3D platformer out there. An action game with incredible graphics and set in a Cyberpunk world, (how sadly unoriginal, but let's give it a chance)

Synopsis

Year 2046 / Dragon City

Neuro-comp interfaces, bionic prosthetics and nano-biotechnology have all become commonplace. Society is highly developed, but the gap between the haves and the have nots has only grown larger.

Xiang Zixu, a brilliant private eye, is killed while investigating the disappearance of a famous female journalist. Immediately after his death, he wakes up with a start in his apartment bedroom. Before he can process what happened, his phone rings and his colleague at the agency tells him of a new case: the disappearance of a famous female journalist.

This game features 7 finely-crafted large stages, including: Dragon Town, which comes alive with holiday spirit in the evening; the bleak and gloomy Shuigou Village; the luxurious Tang Dynasty Hotel; the maritime Bionic Beings' Training Base; and the Biotech Company...

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-loopmancer-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: The Reef: Stalked - Starring Teressa Liane, Ann Truong and Saskia Archer

The Reef Stalked is the latest shark film to try get you to stay out of the water. As with all Shark attack type films, they will all be compared to Jaws, and as such I happen to have a Jaws soundboard app on my phone, which is always fun to use when watching such a film and seeing if you can judge the music with the attack.

The film starts with Cathy (Bridget Burt), Jodie (Ann Truong), Nic (Teressa Liane) and Lisa (Kate Lister) diving and catching fish, when finished they take a photo together, as they are going back to the care park, Greg (Tim Ross), Cathy's husband appears, despite arranging to go home on her own, she goes back with Greg. Nic sees Greg shouting at Cath by their car. Later in the day Nic receives a text from Cath, and rushes to their house. She finds Greg inside, he tells her that Cathy made him do it, Nic then finds Cathy's lifeless body in the bath, Greg had drowned her.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-reef-stalked-starring-teressa.html

REVIEW: Two Hundred Ways - Nintendo Switch

Two Hundred Ways is the latest puzzle game that graces the screens of the Nintendo Switch, for this review I will be playing on the Switch Lite.

The sequel to One Hundred ways, (which I have not played), Two Hundred Ways has a simple concept, you start each level releasing a ball, the ball will then follow gravity and roll along, your job is to place objects that will affect the roll of that ball, and ultimately guide it to the end position.

Of course, things get trick fast and you will have obstacles to overcome, or even use to your advantage.

There are 200 levels as you might have guessed, and these are in blocks of 10 which sees the levels having a certain graphical theme.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/07/review-two-hundred-ways-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: How to Please a Woman (2022) Starring Sally Phillips

Let it be known before I start writing this review that I am a big fan of Sally Phillips and have been probably since her Smack the Pony days, so I might be a little biased.

Sally Phillips plays Gina, a middle-aged woman working in a middle management job, in a middling sexless marriage to a mid-range husband. On her birthday her friends arrange for a male stripper Tom (played by Alexander England) to turn up at her house and give her a show. She turns down the offer of "extras" but instead realising he is booked for 2 hours; she gets him to clean the house.

After being the only one made redundant and hearing that Tom's moving company is about to be closed down by the very same people who fired her, she remembers Tom cleaning her house topless, and the light bulb goes off in her head, turn the moving company into a cleaning company, with the gimmick being that men will clean topless and give frustrated women something to ogle. After Tom has sex with the first client, Gina soon realises that this could be an even better idea, men that will not only clean your house but also take care of those sexual frustrations.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-how-to-please-woman-2022.html

REVIEW: Avenging Spirit on Nintendo Switch

The great Ratalaika Games are back once again with another classic title. This time it is 90s cabinet arcade game Avenging Spirit by Jaleco.

Originally released in 1991, Avenging Spirit tells the story of a man who was out with his girlfriend Gennifer on a romantic walk, a crime syndicate killed the man and kidnapped his girlfriend. The man rises as a ghost or spirit and joins forces with his girlfriends father who is a paranormal researcher, and he now not only wants to rescue his girlfriend, but also get revenge on those who killed him. Ironically the crime syndicate is researching ghostly energy and their aim is to force Gennifer's father to help them and give them the secrets of the ghostly energy.

For a simple arcade game, that is quite the backstory!

Full Review

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/07/review-avenging-spirit-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: The Gray Man (2022) - Starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas

I always find it fascinating that Netflix will put down $200m for a movie, then basically keep it only for Netflix subscribers. I guess they have money to burn, as I don't think anyone is specifically subscribing to Netflix to see just one film, and if they did they would probably take advantage of a free trial period.

Anyway, The Gray Man is the newest addition to the Netflix line up, and stars Ryan Gosling as "Sierra Six", a CIA black ops assassin who is forced to go on the run after uncovering incriminating secrets about the agency, and Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen, a psychopathic former CIA agent who is contracted by CIA bosses to capture Six.

The film starts in 2003 with Senior CIA official Donald Fitzroy (played by Billy Bob Thornton) visiting a convicted murderer in prison, the murderer killed his abusive father in 1995, to protect his brother. Fitzroy offers the murderer freedom, but there is a catch, he will have to work as an assassin for the CIA's Sierra program. These assassins work off the books, and take out enemies of the State with no questions asked. The murderer (Ryan Gosling ) agrees and takes the codename Sierra Six. (Basically, known now as Six throughout the film).

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-gray-man-2022-starring-ryan.html

REVIEW: Pretty Girls Breakout! PLUS on PC (Steam)

ZOO Corporation are back with their latest "Pretty Girls" release, this time it is a reimagining of the all-time classic arcade great brick busting game Breakout.

I am sure just about everyone reading this has at one time played a version of Breakout, either the original, or one of the thousands of clones. Well, we should all know by now that ZOO Corporation really are the masters of taking a classic game and giving it a new twist, so have they managed to do it again with this? Let's find out.

The big twist with the Pretty Girls games are the addition of... well.... erm... Pretty Girls. They are basically the "worlds" and "levels" of the game. Beat the levels, and you unlock the Girl for use in creating your own computer wallpapers, or just for admiring the fantastic Japanese art.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/07/review-pretty-girls-breakout-plus-on-pc.html

REVIEW: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank - Starring Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks and Samuel L. Jackson

Paws of Fury is one of these films that seem to take forever to be released, originally due for 2017! And you can tell as there are a few slightly dated references, a big Gangnam Style number perhaps the most obvious.

Anyway, the film itself is a loose adaptation of the 1974 Mel Brooks film Blazing Saddles, and is full of big-name actors voicing the characters, including Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Set in Japan and a land inhabited by talking cats, we are quickly introduced to Ika Chu, a warmongering Somali cat, voiced by Ricky Gervais and based on Hedley LaMarr from Blazing Saddles. Ika Chu is a high ranking official of Shōgun of Kakamucho, Toshi played by Mel Brooks, which is basically a version of Brooks' role as Gov. William J. Le Petomane from Blazing Saddles.

Ika Chu is the baddie in this film, and Ricky Gervais plays the character well, although I always think any time a well-known actor plays the part of a cartoon character, that character needs to look a bit like the actor, sadly in this film no one looks anything like the actor playing them, which is a bit strange, because young kids won't know who these people are, so they should have given adults something to notice.

Any who, Ika Chu has a big palace, and it is perfect, well almost, the problem is right next to the palace is the village of Kakamucho, and basically it spoils the view so Ika Chu wants it wiped out, so sends gangs of thugs to destroy it. The village has a Samurai to protect it, but flees when he sees the invasion.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-paws-of-fury-legend-of-hank.html

REVIEW: Pinball Freedom on Nintendo Switch

The pinball table is one of the oldest games around, and almost as soon as computers were invented, we have video game pinball. So whether you are a younger gamer or a more mature gamer like myself, we all know and have played Pinball games.

The latest game to want to grab your attention is Pinball Freedom, this is very much a simulation of real Pinball tables, you can even walk around the room while you choose which table to play next.

There are 5 tables to choose from, each with their own theme. Sci-fi, Fairy-tale, BMX, Skate Park and my favourite Chill Panda's Adventure.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/07/review-pinball-freedom-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: Rubikon (2022) - Starring Julia Franz Richter, George Blagden and Mark Ivanir

The year is 2056 and we find ourselves with a skeleton crew of astronauts aboard the space station Rubikon, we have German-born Captain Hannah Wagner (Julia Franz Richter), British male Gavin (George Blagden), and Russian Dimitri (Mark Ivanir).

The world below is facing huge changes to what we know, the world is run by giant corporations where the rich live in paradise while the poor starve and choke. Ok not that much of a huge change, in fact pretty much identical to 2022.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a giant toxic cloud starts to cover the face of the earth, but without any signs of a Super Volcano erupting or an asteroid strike, the crew aboard the Rubikon apparently have no idea what has caused it, nor do they have communications with anyone on earth to tell them what is happening.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-rubikon-2022-starring-julia.html

REVIEW: Lightyear (2022) - NOT Starring Tim Allen - But does star Peter Sohn as Sox

In the Toy Story films, there was a toy called Buzz Lightyear, that toy was based on a film, that film was called Lightyear, and this is that film that has now been released, so in some ways this is a prequel to the origin of a Toy from a film that was made 27 years ago.

Now in the Lightyear film, Buzz Lightyear is voiced by Chris Evans, yet the toy that was made from that film, instead of casting Chris Evans, they cast the much superior voice of Tim Allen.

This is what Disney Pixar want us to believe. Can you think of any toy that has ever been released that did not have the voice of the original actor?

First of all, Buzz Lightyear will ALWAYS be Tim Allen, anyone else is just a poor imitation, and with that said, that is the first huge problem with this film. They changed the actor who played the character. So instantly I dislike the new Lightyear, even though it is not the toy character but instead a real character from a film.

Now I have that off my chest, let's get to the story.....

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-lightyear-2022-not-starring-tim.html

REVIEW: Matchpoint - Tennis Championships on XBOX

Matchpoint - Tennis Championships is the latest tennis game out there to try and grab your attention, released to coincide with Wimbledon, and try and pick up your casual fan as well as your tennis gamers, the first thing you will notice when you start playing is that this is a proper tennis simulation.

Everything looks incredible, the graphics are amazing. (Some of the close ups not so great)

Now if like me you are a fan of Virtua Tennis games, you need to quickly get that out of your head, as the controls are slightly different, and at first I struggled a bit with the characters as I was trying to play, I jumped straight into a quick game, and you will soon learn that everything is about precision, positioning the player, but most importantly where you are going to play the ball, once you have positioned your player and chose the shot type out of top spin, flat, lob or slice shot, a small black circle appears which you have then got to quickly put in the place where you want the ball to go. All of this needs to be done in quick order. And despite at first feeling a bit overwhelmed, I was surprised how quickly I then figured it out.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/07/review-matchpoint-tennis-championships.html

REVIEW: The Princess (2022) - Starring Joey King, Dominic Cooper, Olga Kurylenko and Ed Stoppard

For a moment I thought we had a 2022 remake of The Princess Bride, but alas we must wait longer for that. Instead we have a classic story, a Princess (Joey King) is to be married off, and of course she is not interested.

Set in medieval times in a realm run by a King (Ed Stoppard) and Queen (Alex Reid), it becomes apparent that they have no male heir to the throne. Just two daughters. The film starts with one of those daughters chained up in a bed at the top of the tower. The King had planned for her to wed Julius (Dominic Cooper) the evil son of a diplomat, but after she left him at the altar Julius and his whip wielding henchwoman Moira (Olga Kurylenko) take the castle by force, and ultimately force the Princess to marry him, so he can have an undeniable claim to the throne.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-princess-2022-starring-joey-king.html

REVIEW: Hot Seat (2022) - Starring Kevin Dillon, Mel Gibson, Michael Welch, Sam Asghari, Eddie Steeples and Shannen Doherty

With Mel Gibson taking on more of these low to mid budget films, I can say I am firmly in the approval section, for I like Mel Gibson, and despite his problems over the years, he is a good actor and does bring something to the roles he takes on. With that said Kevin Dillon is the true lead in this film.

Kevin Dillon plays Orlando Friar a reformed hacker who now works as an IT expert, spending his days helping old ladies with their internet routers over the phone.

After being called into work on his daughter's birthday, Orlando gets on a zoom call with his wife, and with his daughter, neither are very happy with him, suddenly he finds that his computer has been hacked, and a mysterious voice tells him if he gets off his chair, it will explode. Caught in such a position, Orlando agrees to help this mysterious person with some hacking with the knowledge if he doesn't, not only will he go boom, but the mysterious person will go after his family. And even worse the mysterious man has already framed Orlando as the bomber of an earlier explosion.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-hot-seat-2022-starring-kevin.html

REVIEW: Minions The Rise of Gru - Starring Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin and Taraji P. Henson

Minions The Rise of Gru is a prequel to the 2015 film Minions, and the 5th film overall in the Despicable Me franchise

Steve Carell stars as the young 12-year-old Gru, and Pierre Coffin as the voice of the various Minions.

The year is 1976 and a young Gru voiced by Steve Carell dreams of becoming a supervillain, he has even hired his own little Minions to help him.

One day Gru receives an audition invitation from the Vicious 6, a Supervillain gang led by Belle Bottom (voiced by Taraji P. Henson), they have recently turned on the founder of their group supervillain Wild Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin) while stealing the Zodiac Stone and kicked him out of the group, and presume he is now dead.

Gru attends the audition along with other supervillain wannabes, but the interview goes badly, and they mock Gru due to his age. Somehow however Gru manages to steal the Zodiac Stone from them, he escapes with Minions Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, but when cornered he hands the stone to Otto and tells him to meet him at the basement lair.

Back at the Gru's basement lair, Otto steps forward and hands Gru a large pebble with googly eyes on it, Otto had swapped the Zodiac Stone for the pebble at a child's birthday party. Furious Gru fires the Minions.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-minions-rise-of-gru-starring.html

REVIEW: Crimes of the Future (2022) - Stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart

The latest film "from the mind of David Cronenberg" is one that will truly freak you out. Even though I just watched it, I am slightly unsure of what I just watched, if it was genius, or just weird.

The film is set in an undetermined dystopian future.

We start with a mother and young boy Brecken, for some reason the young boy decides to start eating a plastic bin. His mother watches on from the door. Later when the boy is sleeping, the mother looks at him and with a pillow suffocates him. Her ex-husband Lang (Scott Speedman) finds the boy. Well, that is a depressing start to a film, but also sets up the weirdness you are about to experience.

In this future, pollution and climate change have forced scientists to develop biotechnology, machines and mechanical computers that can directly interface with the human body. I say human, but I am not sure if that is what we are dealing with any more. It seems that people have undergone some biological changes of indeterminate origin. The most obvious of these changes is the lack of any physical pain, or disease. You would think this is a good thing, right?. One interesting by-product of this lack of pain is the ability to undergo surgery while fully conscious.

Insert people having crazy body modifications, man with lots of ears all over his body is one example.

Full Review and Trailer at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-crimes-of-future-2022-stars.html

REVIEW: The Man from Toronto (2022) - Stars Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson

Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson are back in the latest big Netflix action comedy.

Kevin Hart plays Teddy, a grifter trying to make it big with various online tutorial business ideas. Failure after failure leads Teddy to try to sell his idea of non-contact boxing to local gym owner Marty (Martin Roach), Marty of course rejects the idea, as well as pointing out some fliers that Teddy made for him had no address or phone number on them for his gym.

Teddy feeling down wants to do something for his wife Lori, (Jasmine Mathews), so he decides to send her on a spa day, and book a secluded cabin for them both, so they can "make babies". Unfortunately, the printer is low on toner, and while going to the cabin to prepare things, he can't read the address, and goes to the wrong place. He goes inside and finds two men who are awaiting the arrival of someone called The Man from Toronto, they believe that Teddy is this man, a brutal assassin who is a master of the art of interrogation. Since no one gets to see the face of The Man from Toronto, they just assume Teddy is him and encourage him to interrogate a man they have as a captive.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-man-from-toronto-2022-stars.html

REVIEW: Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe (2022) - Starring Mike Judge as Beavis and Butt-Head

Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe has been getting rave reviews, and although I will admit I never really watched them back in the 1990s, from the odd episodes I have seen over the years, I always thought I should go back and watch them properly, but alas I never did.

Well now they have a new film out, as well as a two season TV show planned, so I thought I should sit down and give them my attention.

If you have never seen Beavis and Butt-head before, they are simply put a couple of teenage virgin slackers, famous for their apathy, lack of intelligence, dumb humour, and love of rock bands AC DC and Metallica.

The film starts in 1998 in Highland Texas, while at school, and kicking each other in the balls, they are told by a teacher that there is a science fair, which of course they were totally oblivious of. They decide to enter the fair, and before you know it, they have burned down their school. They end up in juvenile court, where the judge sees them as at-risk youth and sends them to space camp at the Johnson Space Center.

While at the space centre they are playing with a space docking machine simulator, for them it is just a phallic toy for them to mess with, but NASA astronaut Captain Serena Ryan (Andrea Savage) sees them as having natural ability at docking spacecraft, so they are invited to train as astronauts. Of course, being dumb Beavis and Butt-head misunderstand Serena and think she wants to have sex with them, so they agree to the training believing they will have sex with her in space. Before you know it, they have finished training and board the Space Shuttle Endeavour to study a micro black hole.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-beavis-and-butt-head-do-universe.html

REVIEW: Code Name Banshee (2022) - Starring Antonio Banderas, Jaime King and Tommy Flanagan

Assassins, revenge, and everything going wrong, this sounds like my kind of film.

Jaime King plays Banshee, we first meet the character during a CIA interrogation. We learn that her father and a man called Caleb (Antonio Banderas) have both been designated as traitors after a mission went wrong. Banshee's father is presumed dead in an asset transfer, but no body was ever discovered. Caleb disappeared during the ambush. The CIA have put a bounty of $10m on the head of Caleb. Banshee is sceptical of the official government account of what happened.

Fast forward a few years and Banshee has become a contract killer. Along with hacker Kronos (Played by Aleksander Vayshelboym), she takes out whoever she is paid to. One day while pursuing a target who is a congressman, she is attacked by Anthony Greene (Tommy Flanagan) who is lying in wait for her. He is after Caleb, and believes that Banshee was trained by Caleb and as such will know of his whereabouts. Banshee escapes, but she realises she needs to find Caleb, warn him about the bounty and find out what really happened to her father.

Full Review and Trailer at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/07/review-code-name-banshee-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: Cryo (2022) - Starring Jyllian Petrie, Emily Marie Palmer, Mason D. Davis, Curt Doussett and Morgan Gunter

A simple premise, 5 people wake up from cryosleep, but can't remember anything about themselves including who they are or how long they have been asleep. Before you know it they are being hunted by an unknown assailant.

A pretty simple concept that on paper should lead to a claustrophobic type of horror thriller. Usually this kind of story has people waking up on a spaceship, but this time we are definitely underground on Earth.

So, let's delve a little deeper.

We start of in some kind of underground facility, five scientists wake up, and find themselves released from some kind of cryo chamber, as they wake up, they quickly realise that none of them has much memory about anything. They understand that they were part of some kind of experiment and slowly remember what their roles were, but that's about it, they don't even know their names, just a number on their clothes. There is no one there to welcome them, to check their health, no one at all, despite their chambers having to be opened from the outside.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-cryo-2022-starring.html

Celebrity Juice Cancelled!

After an incredible 26 series on ITV2, the multi award-winning Celebrity Juice is going out on a high! The outrageous, channel defining panel-show which has been hosted for 14 years by the one and only Keith Lemon, is to conclude later this year with two fantastic farewell specials celebrating all of Juice's maddest moments.

The BAFTA and National Television Award-winning programme, which has almost 300 episodes, has seen Keith playing the craziest games and sharing the biggest laughs on-camera with stars like Ed Sheeran, Pamela Anderson, and Will Mellor. Celebrity Juice was founded by Keith and the original team captains Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton back in 2008. In season 24, the amazing Emily Atack and Laura Whitmore assumed the role permanently, but Juice had a fantastic cast of team captains prior to that, including Gino D'Acampo, Mel B, Paddy McGuinness, and Kelly Brook.

Keith Lemon said:
"I remember doing the first episode thinking wow that was fun! In the V/O in opening titles I said it was the best telly show on telly. Whatever you thought of it, it was definitely the best fun making it. An amazing team, and amazing guests, but all good things must come to an end. I'll miss it, and everyone so much, but on to the next chapter and I look forward to going out in style on the specials! All t' best and good luck with ya business!"

REVIEW: Turbo Cola (2022) - Stars Samantha Oty, Luke Covert and Matthew Kiskis

Turbo Cola is set right before the millennium in 1999, a time I remember well. The film starts with a TV report talking about what the 21st Century will bring, and straight away for those old enough, you get a feeling of nostalgia and a hope that this film will take you back to forgotten time before Smart Phones and Social Media.

Austin, (played by Nicholas Stoesser) works at the Quality Mart gas station, he has decided he wants to rob the ATM there, and along with his friend Swearsky, (played by Jared Spears), they start to plan how they are going to do it. Austin talks about his dream of moving to New York for Mary Jane, (played by Jordyn Denning) who will start University there soon. Because they plan to rob the ATM on NYE of the Millenium, it means they are going to miss the party of a lifetime.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-turbo-cola-2022-stars-samantha.html

REVIEW: I Saw Black Clouds on PC (Steam)

I have reviewed a few FMV (Full-motion video) games in the past, and I am back once again with I Saw Black Clouds.

If you have never played a FMV game before, think of it more as an interactive movie, whereby you make decisions for the main character in the film, and that will result in different outcomes, meaning that once you have finished playing, you can start again, make different choices and not just see different scenes, but also a completely different ending.

I Saw Black Clouds is a story about Kristina who has just found out about the unexpected death of a close friend. She travels back to her home town to find answers, but as she does, she uncovers a string of dark secrets, and those secrets turn out to be way scarier than she could ever have imagined.

Part supernatural horror and part psychological thriller, the game plays a bit like one of those feature length dramas you get on ITV late at night. The difference of course being that you the viewer can help choose the path the main character takes.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/06/review-i-saw-black-clouds-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Crawlspace (2022) - Starring Henry Thomas, Bradley Stryker and C. Ernst Harth

I have had Crawlspace queued up for a while now, but didn't have chance to see it until now, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Crawlspace is a survival crime thriller, starring Henry Thomas as a plumber called Robert, in his day-to-day life, with his wife Carrie (Played by Olivia Taylor Dudley) and super cute young baby, he finds himself being taken advantage of by people, who use him, and don't pay him the money he is owed for work. He is your classic working-class underdog.

One day while working in the crawlspace under a house, he witnesses a murder by two men, Sterling (played by Bradley Stryker) and Dooley (C. Ernst Harth). They are a couple of criminals searching for a hidden stash of money at the house.

When Robert sees the murder, he needs to find a way to keep hidden, while also trying to escape the killers as they find themselves in something of a standoff.  

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-crawlspace-2022-starring-henry.html

REVIEW: Jurassic World Dominion (2022) - Starring T-Rex, Velociraptor and Allosaurus

We have another big Hollywood Blockbuster to review, this time it is Jurassic World Dominion, which is seemingly the third in the Jurassic World trilogy and 6th movie in the franchise altogether.

To be brutally honest, I was not a fan of the Jurassic World films, I think the franchise should have been left alone after the first two Jurassic Park films. After them, everything just seemed too obvious, and lacking in originality.

Jurassic World Dominion is set four years after the cataclysmic volcanic eruption on Isla Nublar and the Lockwood Estate incident. Now dinosaurs freely roam the world, and as you can imagine this is causing all manner of problems, causing ecological disasters, as well as native species being attacked and destroyed.

In the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, Biosyn Genetics has established a dinosaur sanctuary where they conduct genetic research on Dinosaurs, using that research for pharmacological and agronomic purposes. Think Pfizer and Bill Gates and you get the idea of the kind of evil you are dealing with.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-jurassic-world-dominion-2022.html

REVIEW: Hustle (2022) - Starring Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, Ben Foster and Juancho Hernangómez

After a down-on-his-luck basketball scout discovers an extraordinary player abroad, he brings the phenom back without his team's approval.

I genuinely can't remember the last rags to riches sports film I have seen, so when I saw "Hustle" pop up, I thought I would give it a look, plus it stars Adam Sandler who I happen to think is great.

Now I am not a big basketball fan, and other than a few very big names, (Shaq, Lebron and Magic Johnson) I couldn't really tell you who was who, and which team was the best. So I come to this film purely as a casual viewer, and not a fan of the sport.

Adam Sandler stars as NBA scout Stanley Sugerman, who scouts for the Philadelphia 76ers, his life mainly consists of him being on the road constantly looking for the stars of tomorrow. While the owner of Philadelphia 76ers Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall) likes him, Merrick's son and co-owner Vincent (Ben Foster) seems to clash with Stanley on a philosophical level when it comes to the game.

Due to the toll that the travel is having on his home life, Rex promotes Stanley to assistant coach, which means he can spend more time at home with his wife Teresa (Queen Latifah) and his daughter Alex (Jordan Hull), but just as he does that Rex passes away and his son is left in charge. Three months later and Vincent demotes Stanley back to the scout position, and sends him overseas to find a new star for the team.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-hustle-2022-starring-adam.html

NEWS: Crucible of the Vampire gets a 2022 Directors Cut Release!

Ghost Dog Films, the British independent film and video game company has released a new version of their award nominated retro-style gothic thriller Crucible of the Vampire.

The 2022 Director's Cut features new footage and a remastered soundtrack of the imaginative British gothic chiller which has strong echoes of Tigon, Hammer and M R James ghost stories. With the launch of a new trailer to support the 2022 Director's Cut, it can now be viewed on Amazon Prime and AVOD Streaming channels including Tubi, Plex and Google TV.

Theatrically released in the UK through Showcase cinemas in early 2019, Crucible of the Vampire was then released via UK Home Entertainment and nominated for Best Thriller at the National UK Film Awards 2020.

More details at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/news-crucible-of-vampire-gets-2022.html

REVIEW: The Spy Who Never Dies (2022) - Starring Paul O’Brien, Georgia Walters, Kristy Wordsworth, Teressa Liane, Hafedh Dakhlaoui and Cassandra Magrath

We are back once again, and this time we have an action/rom-com/spy/thriller for you. The Spy Who Never Dies is directed by Corey Pearson and stars Paul O'Brien in the lead role as Brad an international spy who falls in love with a veterinarian, while the world around him is falling apart..

Clearly this film is a bit of a spoof on James Bond, and from pretty much the first moment, you will realise that it does not take itself at all too seriously.

The film starts with Brad meeting with his boss, he is sick of the spy life, he is starting to feel like he is no more than just a run of the mill assassin, so he wants out, he wants to lead a normal life, with no guns, no bad guys, no saving the world.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-spy-who-never-dies-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: White Elephant (2022) - Starring Michael Rooker, Bruce Willis, Olga Kurylenko and John Malkovich

Is this my 5th or 6th Bruce Willis film review this year? The last few times I was certain it would be the last ever new Bruce Willis release due to his recent health diagnosis, but here we are again.

This time we have something of a star-studded cast for White Elephant.

Michael Rooker (a regular in Bruce Willis films this year) plays Gabriel Tancredi, and he is the lead character in the film, as you know by now Bruce Willis in maybe his last 10 films has played more of a cameo type of role.

Tancredi is an enforcer for mob boss Arnold Solomon, (played by Bruce Willis), he has Carlos Garcia (Vadhir Derbez) deal with a rival of Solomon. As he blows him up, it just so happens that a couple of cops Vanessa Flynn (Olga Kurylenko) and Walter Koschek (Michael Rose) are tailing him and witness the explosion. Garcia escapes, but realising that the cops saw him, Solomon gives him 48 hours to take them out. Koschek is easy enough but Flynn quickly becomes a problem.

At this point you would think that the film would centre on Vanessa Flynn, a cop formerly in the military and suffering with PTSD from her deployment in Afghanistan, but instead it centres on Tancredi, as he takes care of another rival, and does the bidding of Solomon, eventually Tancredi's conscience catches up with him, mainly due to the death of his wife, he turns on Solomon and sort of partners with Flynn.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/06/review-white-elephant-2022-starring.html

Interview with Chris Sivertson, director of Monstrous

Ahead of the UK digital release of his feature film MONSTROUS, writer / director Chris Sivertson talks about the joy of working with Christina Ricci, monstrous inspirations and why horror films are our modern-day fairy tales.

What drew you to take the helm on MONSTROUS, given that you usually direct films you've either written or co-written?

Christina Ricci was already attached to the script when it came to me so that was a huge draw. I've loved her as an actress for decades and have always admired the interesting choices she makes in material. Then I got even more excited when I read the script. I just thought it was a beautiful and emotional story and it clicked perfectly with my sensibilities. I saw pretty clearly what I could bring to it as a filmmaker.

You drew a magnificent performance from Christina Ricci. What was it like directing her?

I had a fantastic time working with Christina. She has extensive experience and is such a great talent. Her instincts about the character were deeply intuitive. It's an intense role because the material is pretty heavy. And on a practical level it was very demanding because she is essentially in every scene of the movie. It's a true character study and the character is put through an emotional rollercoaster. Christina is able to delve into deep and dark emotions very quickly and then she's able to let go of those feelings just as quickly - at least that's how it seemed from my perspective. That ability of hers made for a very enjoyable working experience. Even when we were dealing with some pretty depressing stuff, her professionalism and wicked sense of humour kept things fun on set. That was important because we had so many logistical challenges in making a pretty ambitious low budget movie during the height of the pandemic. The crew loved her.

Full Interview at

http://www.mastersofhorror.co.uk/2022/06/interview-with-chris-sivertson-director.html