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This weekend there are TEN new films out for you to choose from: Marvel’s latest in Doctor Strange, Korean zombie horror in Train to Busan, another triumph for Joanne Froggatt in Starfish, Raymond Briggs latest animation in Ethel and Ernest, British black comedy in Burn Burn Burn, horror meets augmented reality in Let’s Be Evil, James Buckley strays no distance from his Inbetweeners character in The Comedian’s Guide to Survival, a French couple are divorced in After Love, a superhero movie released in the wrong week in Max Steel, and there’s a comedy abomination in Boo! A Madea Halloween.
Doctor Strange. Doctor Who. Doctor Foster. “Doctor, Doctor” by the Thompson Twins… the world is never short of doctors to put in the entertainment outlets…
Benedict Cumberbatch is Stephen Strange, the world’s top neurosurgeon, unfortunately injured in a car accident that ruins his career, but helpfully letting him discover the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions. This leads him to set out on a journey of healing, where he encounters the Ancient One (Ben Kingsley as Tilda Swinton), who later becomes Strange’s mentor in the mystic arts.
I’m very tempted to see this one on the big IMAX screen at the Odeon Manchester Printworks, which is the second biggest IMAX screen in Europe and only slightly smaller than the BFI IMAX, since if the visuals are as regular in the film as they are in this trailer, then it’ll be quite a treat.
The cast also includes Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Scott Adkins, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benedict Wong and Amy Landecker.
Scott Derrickson directs a screenplay from C Robert Cargill and Jon Spaihts, based on the comic book by Steve Ditko. Derrickson is also responsible for 2014’s Deliver Us from Evil, and before that, Sinister and erm… the The Day the Earth Stood Still 2008 remake.
That said, while I’m no kind of Marvel aficionado, it looks pretty snazzy, and has to be a step up from the charmless Chris Evans as Captain America! As well as more interesting than Batman V Superman!
Doctor Strange, featuring the man I like to call BenCum, actually came out on Tuesday, and I went to see it, so did I like it? Read our review here.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Read the review!
Train to Busan
A zombie-virus breaks out in South Korea, and the billing states that Sok-woo and his daughter Soo-ahn struggle to survive on the KTX fast train from Seoul to Busan, but it looks like everyone’s in that boat as few people look like they’ll survive.
Just watching the trailer I was gripped by this, so it’s a must-see.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Starfish is the true-life story of Tom Ray (Tom Riley) and his wife Nicola (Joanne Froggatt – Still Life), where Tom is struck with an illness with robs him of his limbs and requires part of his face to be amputated. With a cast including Phoebe Nicholls and Michele Dotrice, I was stunned into silence with this but couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.
I think Ms Froggatt makes this, and why Hollywood hasn’t snapped her up, I can’t explain. She is an incredible actress.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Ethel and Ernest
Raymond Briggs is the legend who brought us animated classics such as The Snowman, and Ethel and Ernest is a new hand drawn movie with an intimate and affectionate depiction of the life and times of his parents, voiced by Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn, two ordinary Londoners living through extraordinary events.
Also starring Luke Treadaway (The Rack Pack, A Street Cat Named Bob), Pam Ferris, Roger Allam, Virginia McKenna, Peter Wight, June Brown and Simon Day, this looks to be another winner from Mr Briggs.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Burn Burn Burn
Following the death of their friend, two girls in their late twenties embark on a road trip to spread his ashes. Seph and Alex take turns driving. Dan is in the glove compartment, in tupperware, decreasing in volume as the trip progresses.
A new British movie with Laura Carmichael, Sally Phillips, Joe Dempsie, Jack Farthing, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Alison Steadman, Jane Asher, Chloe Pirrie, Eleanor Matsuura, Alice Lowe, Nigel Planer and Matthew Kelly, despite the dark subject matter, I love a bit of black comedy and based on this trailer, I definitely want to check it out.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Let’s Be Evil
Horror meets augmented reality as three chaperones are hired to supervise an advanced learning program for gifted children, who wear Augmented Reality Glasses to assist in their education. Contained within a secure, underground facility, events quickly spiral out of conatrol.
Directed by Martin Owen, and starring Kara Tointon, Isabelle Allen and Jamie Bernadette, it’s all a bit weird but based on the trailer I think there’s enough in this to make it worth a watch.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
The Comedian’s Guide to Survival
The Inbetweeners‘ James Buckley stars as James Mullinger, in a film based on the eponymous, real-life comedian. He has come to a crossroads in his life – no one wants to see him perform, his wife is fed up, and his day time boss has given him an ultimatum: take a promotion and never do stand up again, or stick to the comedy and lose his job.
To add salt to the wound, his boss sends him to LA to interview some of the greatest comedians alive for the magazine. Through spending time with his former heroes, a faint glimmer of his passion for stand-up comedy begins to stir again…
Also starring Vas Blackwood, MyAnna Buring, Gilbert Gottfried, the actor Kevin Eldon, plus Brendon Burns, Jimmy Carr, and Omid Djalili. this looks pretty decent so certainly worth checking out, although it’s going to be one on Blu-ray or DVD rather than the cinema.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
After Love
Fifteen years earlier, Marie (Bérénice Bejo), a well off young woman, had set up house with Boris (Cédric Kahn), a working class man.
They loved each other and had twin daughters, Jade and Margaux. But now, Marie and Boris do not get along anymore and have decided to get a divorce. The trouble is that Boris cannot afford to find a new place of his own and, in the meantime must continue to cohabit. Marie desperately wants Boris away and cannot put up with him any longer. Her partner, for his part, will not leave home unless she gives him half of what the house is worth. Marie refuses because she is the one who bought the place. Boris refuses because he renovated it and brought considerable added value to their belonging. The situation is deadlocked.
Also starring Marthe Keller and Jade Soentjens, there’s potential in this, but I wouldn’t make it my first choice of films to see this week.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
Max Steel
The adventures of teenager Max McGrath (Ben Winchell) and his alien companion, Steel (voiced by Josh Brener), who must harness and combine their tremendous new powers to evolve into the turbo-charged superhero Max Steel.
Also starring Maria Bello and Andy Garcia, this looks like passable entertainment for young kids, but not many others.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Boo! A Madea Halloween
Someone stupidly funds Tyler Perry to make another movie, this time a spoof horror, where Madea (Perry) winds up in the middle of mayhem when she spends a haunted Halloween fending off killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls and zombies while keeping a watchful eye on a group of misbehaving teens.
Looks as horrific as it sounds, and God knows how the hell it got to No.1 in the US!
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.