Elfie Hopkins DVD Review

★★☆☆☆

Here’s a question. What’s the difference between the new Brit horror Elfie Hopkins (2012) and watching paint dry? Answer not much, as they both cease to hold your interest after about five minutes (less in fact where Elfie Hopkins is concerned). This film by director Ryan Andrews and starring father / daughter double-act Ray and Jamie Winstone, though with an atmospheric opening, soon looses any promise it had once the action sets (or in this case doesn’t set) in.

Elfie Hopkins (Jamie Winstone) and her best mate Dylan (Aneurin Barnard) live in a tranquil home counties village where nothing much happens - period. Until that is the mysterious and exotic Gammon family move in next door. Suddenly things become very exciting indeed - well ok, the use of the word exciting is admittedly debatable when talking about this film, but hey I’m trying my best here! Anyway, after members of the local community start to go missing Elfie and Dylan decide to investigate the new arrivals and the ‘exotic holiday‘ business they run with some very disturbing results.

Right, lets cut to the chase. Kimberley Nixon, who plays Pippa the local nympho, is about the most exciting thing this otherwise fright free exercise in tedium has to offer. This girl has just one thing on her mind - bedding the hunky Mr Gammon (Rupert Evans) at the first opportunity - toodle pip, rutting in the shires would have nothing on this filly. Going by what she shows here Nixon would be perfectly cast for any upcoming Jilly Cooper adaptations. Evans’ said Gammon is the only other saving grace amongst a cast of actors who are on the whole as lifeless as their characters are by the end of the film.

Admittedly the film looks stunning, particularly its surreal costumes which are a cross between twinset and pearls, home counties couture and bizarre medieval hunting clothes, shot through with a dash of sloppy bohemia. Filmed with a clouded effect, the whole proceedings are leant a surreal, dreamlike quality, the muted palette of which highlights the graphic gore when it does eventually arrive. These said viscerals, which consist mainly of rich and bloody reds and one effective jolt (or should that be bolt) to the system are unfortunately too little too late to save what could have been an effective and tight little shocker under the right guidance.

We are offering you the chance to win a copy of Elfie Hopkins on dvd, so don’t let my views put you off trying your luck - it’ll be a great film to have on in the background when you’re finishing painting the spare room.

Cleaver Patterson

Rating:15
DVD/BD Release Date: 13 August 2012
Directed By: Ryan Andrews
Cast: Jaime Winstone, Aneurin Barnard, Rupert Evans, Ray Winstone

Monster Brawl DVD Review

★★☆☆☆

The first thing to say about Monster Brawl, is that it definitely won’t be for everyone. This B-movie extravaganza mixes wrestling and monsters to create a sub-genre hybrid that plays out like a cult passion project. Abominations like Wolfman and "Swamp Gut" meet in the ring to battle it out and prove once and for all who the meanest monster is. The concept is the perfect fan boy fantasy, a dream now made reality in the increasing validity of the fan's wants: films like Aliens vs Predator and Freddy vs. Jason have all proved that there's an audience waiting to see films that pitch classic characters, who have no good reason to be in the same place at the same time, together at last.

But is the film actually any good? Well if you can look past the cheesy acting of the amateur wrestlers playing the monsters, and have no problem with a fairly wobbly script, then it’s actually a kind of fun. Besides, in a film where Witch Bitch and Cyclops fight in a wrestling ring, the term “wobbly” loses much of its meaning. Much credibility is actually set in place through the cast; Jimmy Hart appears as himself, Kevin Nash steps in as a disgruntled colonel out to win the Monster Brawl, Lance Henriksen lends his growling tones as the narrator (credited as God), but its Dave Foley and Art Hindle who make some of the best scenes in the piece as the commentators.

The film isn’t supposed to be taken too seriously, that much is clear, its schlocky fun for like-minded fans who want to watch something silly, but even then the film is pretty thin. Intentional bombastic tongue-in-cheek can’t save an undeveloped concept. The fight scenes lack real punch and eventually start to bore, the formulaic approach to the subject is where the film trips up, introducing characters, giving them a five to ten minute background, and then pitting them against each other is nice at first but eventually tedious. It’s a shame when the best parts of a fight film are the character intros.

Surprisingly, the film isn’t too badly shot and the whole thing looks pretty good. Costume and production design definitely have a hammer/50’s feel, the sets are solid, and gore and creature effects are as good as any you’ll see in a studio production.

So, for all its B-movie charm Monster Brawl is still underdeveloped and too minimalist at too many points to stand its ground as a feature film. But there’s some fun to be had here for hard-core cult monster fans.

Special features are short but sweet: a twenty minute Behind the Scenes look at the incredibly passionate and humble forces who put the piece together, a collection of outtakes featuring Jimmy Hart, and the trailer for the film. In particular, the Behind the Scenes gives a little more appreciation for the film.

Scott Clark

Rating:15
UK Release Date: 20th August 2012
Directed by: Jesse T. Cook
Cast: Robert Maillet, Jimmy Hart, Jason David Brown, Kelly Couture
Pre-Order/Buy:Monster Brawl On DVD

Film4 FrightFest honours Greg Nicotero

FrightFest, in partnership with Variety Magazine, are set to present the inaugural Variety Award at FrightFest to renowned special effects and make-up artist Greg Nicotero.

Nicotero will be presented with the award on Saturday August 25, following an on-stage interview at this year’s FrightFest The 13^th.

"FrightFest is very proud to be associated with Variety Magazine,” said FrightFest co-director Ian Rattray. “We feel Greg Nicotero is a perfect choice to receive this historic award - the first to be given out at a FrightFest event.”

An acknowledged master of his field Nicotero is an idol of horror fans with a 30-year career that has seen him work on virtually every major horror franchise.

"Film4 FrightFest is delighted to welcome back Greg Nicotero,” added co-director Alan Jones. “Every time we see him his career seems to have taken another quantum leap and we are thrilled Variety has recognised his contribution to the genre in both fan and business terms. We love his company as much as his professionalism and are looking forward to hosting him on this auspicious occasion.”

One of the founders of KNB Effects Group in 1988, with Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman, Nicotero has worked with the great modern filmmakers on both the big and small screen.

His enduring relationships with directors including Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Wes Craven, Frank Darabont, George A. Romero and Sam Raimi demonstrates the value top filmmakers place on his skill.

From “The Pacific,” “Deadwood,” and “The Walking Dead” on television to features including “Kill Bill,” “Misery,” “The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Sin City” and “The Green Mile” Nicotero and his studio have consistently supplied some of the most spectacular and imaginative effects and prosthetics seen on screen over the past three decades. 

Film4 FrightFest The 13^th is on from Thurs 23 August to Monday 27 at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square. It will present 48 films in three screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while the Discovery and the newly-created Re-Discovery strand will play in Empires 4 & 5.  There are eleven countries represented, with a record-beating fifteen world premieres and twenty-three UK or European premieres.

Tickets for Individual films are on sale from 28^th July.

Bookings: 08 714 714 714 or www.empirecinemas.co.uk