The Brown Note Movie Review

The Killer (2023) Film Review

I fully expected director, David Fincher's new film to be a stone cold Day of The Jackal look into the mind of an assassin. It isn't, its a far more rote and overdone revenge story, yet at the same time, the level of class every single aspect of its making possesses, the awards worthy performance of a long absent Michael Fassbender and the fact it leans fully into black comedy, makes it feel new and incredibly watchable.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Movie Review

If the undoubted cinematic success story of the year was Barbenheimer, it's undoubted biggest victim was Mission: Impossible 7. Coming off the back of Tom Cruise's most warmly received mega hit, Top Gun Maverick and with stellar reviews, the movie hit the immovable force that 76% of movie goers were watching either Barbie or Oppenheimer in its second week of release. Often analogous with The Fast and Furious franchise, there were a couple of weak-spots compared to the previous three high water marks. It's still ultra high quality entertainment and nowhere near Fast X stagnation yet, but some of the same signifiers are emerging, repetition, fatigue, reusing old cast members and perhaps most egregious - denying the satisfaction that a complete movie would offer. I'm still desperate to see the next one though.

The Kill Room (2023) Movie Review

This underappreciated low key gem gives us the best Uma Thurman lead of the modern era - seriously why is this woman not used more? And if it isn't her wondrous basket case of an art gallery owner/modern art guru wannabe on screen, its Samuel L Jackson - what more do you want? It may be a tad obvious and predictable but its 100% worth the (short) ride for Uma alone.

Tomu DJ - Crazy Trip (2023) EP Review

A short, flowing and classy sequel to one of last years finest electronic full lengths - Half Moon Bay.

Slowdive - Everything Is Alive (2023) Album Review

Part of the UK's holy trinity of Shoegaze, along with RIDE and MBV, all of whom made strong comebacks after twenty-years absences, with new albums and tours. Sadly this second comeback album is nowhere near the perfection of the self-titled 2017 effort and is sadly too slight in almost every direction.

Sparklehorse - Bird Machine (2023) Album Review

The late Mark Linkous' esteemed band receives a totally unexpected final album, the one he was working on at the time of his suicide in 2010, and completed by his family members. And it's wonderful.

The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling (2023) Album Review

The tenth album by the UK stalwarts is, for me, arguably their finest since the high point of Surrender in '99. Tracks like Live Again and the Beck featuring, Skipping Like a Stone amongst the years finest.

Dead Man’s Shoes (2004) Film Review

This Is England, director, Shane Meadows first masterpiece, retains immense power as a treatise on small town brutality and toxic masculinity, especially with the never better performance of Paddy Consadine.

Beau Is Afraid (2023) Film Review

Director Ari Aster has had quite a wild ride. His debut, Hereditary, was one of the defining films of both horror and A24 in a decade defined by both, the followup Midsommar was derivative trite trash, with a bizarre fan-base. So seeing the tepid reviews of his most ambitious film yet, I gave 'Beau no hope - and ended up with possibly my film of the year.

Talk To Me (2023) Film Review

The YouTube powerhouse duo release one of the IT horror movies of the year but though really good its not great. It's certainly never the level of originality, impact or quality of an A24 top tier entry. Perhaps an equal to the likes of last years Smile.