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This week, there are THREE new films out for you to choose from, led by The Personal History of David Copperfield. Here are the titles, with more info below:The Personal History of David Copperfield
The Grudge 2020
The Turning
The Personal History of David Copperfield is a film with a title that made my heart sink – ANOTHER period drama?
Thankfully, not, as it comes from Armando Iannucci (In The Loop), who has directed this new movie. Yes, it’s based on the novel by Charles Dickens, but you can be sure that it’ll have very little to do with it, even though one or two of the cast have been known for such dramas.
I’m hoping for good things with this, but then Armando’s new Avenue 5 was dire.
Director: Armando Iannucci
Writer: Simon Blackwell
Stars: Gwendoline Christie, Ben Whishaw, Tilda Swinton, Sophie McShera, Hugh Laurie, Dev Patel, Aneurin Barnard, Benedict Wong, Peter Capaldi, Rosalind Eleazar, Bronagh Gallagher, Darren Boyd
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
The Grudge 2020 – it’s back again for another reboot, after the Sarah Michelle Gellar reboot in 2004, and based on the Japanese original from 2002.
Entertaininment Weekly came out with some complete horseplop about how you won’t sleep after watching this new ‘creepy’ trailer. Highly unlikely. I think everyone’s really tiring of such films, and this one looks no different – just an endless succession of dull jump scares. This sort of film comes along every other week, so if you get off on this type of film, you must really be short of things to do.
Synopsis: A house is cursed by a vengeful ghost that dooms those who enter it with a violent death. Zzz…
Releasing this now, means it’s in the Jan/Feb dumping ground for terrible movies which can’t get a look-in anywhere else.
Director: Nicolas Pesce
Also stars: Betty Gilpin, Andrea Riseborough, Lin Shaye, William Sadler, Jacki Weaver, Demián Bichir, Frankie Faison
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
The Turning is another of the endless crop of ‘horror’ movies that just take us into jump-scare hell, as Kate (Mackenzie Davis – Terminator: Dark Fate) does battle with the ultimate evil…
…little bloody kids in need of a cold slap. Oh, because they’re trying to kill her, or something. I think. I lost track as it was making me doze off, despite only being two-and-a-half-minutes in length.
The official synopsis states: A young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. A modern take on Henry James‘ novella The Turn of the Screw.
Director: Floria Sigismondi
Screenplay: Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes
Also stars: Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, Mark Huberman, Barbara Marten, Niall Greig Fulton
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.