ATTENTION ALL YOU SOMBITCHES!
My series of reviews inspecting and dissecting the Smokey and the Bandit trilogy of action-comedies (which I started right HERE with the 1977 original) has hot-wheeled it over to the 80’s Picture House for film number two, so follow the link RIGHT HERE to ride on over to read my thoughts on the Burt Reynolds/Sally Field-starring sequel which was originally titled Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again.
Written by: Eoin Colfer
Published in the UK by: Egmont, 27th October 2016
Pages: 273
AN INSTRUMENT OF PEACE
From page to screen and back to page again, award-winning Artemis Fowl author – and Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature – Eoin Colfer brings Marvel’s smart aleck comic book superhero to the North shores of his home country in this slick and snappy YA adventure which substitutes the colourful panel art we normally associate with the Iron Man property for zinging dialogue, explosive descriptions and profuse Irish stereotypes (“top of the morning,” leprechauns, Guinness, Riverdancing, “…, so” and U2 are all brought up – seriously).
12 – 78mins – 2009
50 WAVES OF GREY
Six years before he stripped off as the world’s richest and kinkiest bachelor, Jamie “Christian Grey” Dornan played sullen and introverted soul Joe in this small independent drama filmed on the Norfolk coast. Writer and director David Rocksavage’s 60s set exploration of family relationships also marks the final role for Spartacus and Guys and Dolls icon Jean Simmons as the aging and ailing Hannah, who Joe becomes the unconventional carer for.
Written by: Matt Ralphs, 2016
Published in the UK by: Macmillan Children Books
Pages: 276
NO ORDINARY GIRL
In the Acknowledgements at the rear of Matt Ralphs’ recent sequel to his 2015 breakout hit, Fire Girl (which I reviewed HERE), the blossoming children’s author openly acknowledges the “breakneck speed” at which his editors at Macmillan Children’s Books dictated he write the follow up. Whereas he was able to spend close to five years “scribbling feverishly” on his debut during his spare time, following a publication deal he had a turnaround period of just one-fifth of that time in which to spin a successive yarn.
PG – 95mins – 1977
PEDAL TO THE METAL
“We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there…”
Originally conceived as a low budget B-movie by director and stuntman Hal Needham, with a little superstar clout from Burt Reynolds (at the time the world’s #1 box office draw) Smokey and the Bandit went on to become 1977’s second biggest grossing movie – behind only Star Wars.
71mins – Amazon Video – Streaming from Friday 18th November
Hosted by: Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May
Produced by: Andy Wilman
Directed by: Phil Churchward, Brian Klein
BACK IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
“I can see clearly now the rain has gone” rather arrogantly boasts the theme tune as persistent motor-mouth and infamous producer-puncher Jeremy Clarkson finds a new platform for him and his car-crazy bezzie mates to bicker, banter and blaze around race tracks in blooming expensive vehicles for an hour every week.
12 – 106mins – 2016
JUST LIVE
A former artistic director of the stage, Thea Sharrock makes her feature film debut (following a TV gig on the BBC’s Shakespeare project The Hollow Crown) with this bold and poignant adaptation of Jojo Moyes’ bestselling romantic tearjerker, which the author also penned the screenplay for.
15 – 117mins – 2016
CREATIVE AROUSAL
I went into Nocturnal Animals practically blind. I knew it starred Amy Arrival Adams and an almost recognisable Aaron Taylor-Johnson; I knew Mark Kermode commended it (I caught part of an interview he did with the stars on the red carpet at the film’s UK premiere) and I knew my regular cinema-going friends rated it highly. Otherwise, I was blind as a bat!
12A – 103mins – 2016
A BUSKER’S BEST FRIEND
A drug addict shunned by his family and repelled by society, James Bowen’s inspirational transformation from homeless deadbeat to self-sufficient and employable home-owner is detailed in his bestselling 2012 biography, from which Tomorrow Never Dies director Roger Spottiswoode’s big screen adaptation gets its name.
For those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter (@crabhoward if you fancy joining my “cast”), you may have missed that my in-depth review of Fabulous Films / Freemantle Media’s brand new and immense 20 disc, 90 episode Blu-ray boxset of the entire 1982-86 Knight Rider television series was posted yesterday on The 80’s Picture House.
The CR@Bpendium 