Starting off with a great introduction to Richard E Grant’s character Ian, co-loser and best friend of James, as we see him approach a woman reading on a train platform and attempt to initiate conversation. After several knockbacks, he throws himself in front of a train. Mourning the loss of his best friend, James swears to sort out his life and stop being a loser. Ultimately, this is to be achieved by finding a girlfriend.

After this fairly dark yet funny suicide, the jokes come in a manner of the Carry On films, which in all fairness, isn’t to be sniffed at. This film takes a look at a side of dating that sadly does go on and bizarrely seems to work. Despite looks or real charm, the ‘chic magnets’ of this film get laid. And not once in a while – a lot. They use cheap tactics and they work. Sadly, for our man James, they backfire, although it’s not before long he gets the girl, who ironically, turns out to be not all that nice. Looks and boobs, yes, but personality, no. And the girl who was right for him all along? That’s right…his less high maintenance best friend. A sweet ending with some laughs and quotes which are extremely x-rated. A fun film for a night in and a few guilty pleasure laughs.

Thankfully, star of How to Stop Being a Loser sat down with me and answered a few questions:

1.       In How to Stop Being a Loser, you play a hopeless geek struggling to talk to women. What are your golden rules for getting down with the opposite sex?

Simon Phillips: I don’t know if I have any! I don’t believe there’s really a fool proof system or advice that works on all females; but like the film I do believe there’s a few things you shouldn’t do; don’t lie (you’ll be found out), don’t try to impress too much (desperation is never an attractive quality) and above all make sure she makes you laugh… She could be the most gorgeous girl on the planet but if you can’t laugh together then it doesn’t mean much.

2.       How to Stop Being a Loser has produced some of my new favourite movie quotes, including beauties such as ‘tabloid reading cretin’ and ‘pokey bum wank’. Do you have any particular film quotes that you recite to the point of irritation?

Simon Phillips: Being on this film was great, we spent lots of the playing pranks and winding each other up – I was surprised [director] Dominic Burns let us get away with it so much, but I guess he thought “the better time they have on screen the more it helps the comedy of the film”… I guess that is his approach as he was involved in most of the pranks! The scene which still gets me is between Patch (Stephanie Leonidas) and Hannah (Gemma Atkinson) – Patch is having a go at Hannah for throwing out a photo of my dead best friend (Richard E. Grant) and Hannah replies: ‘Oh, I didn’t know he was dead’ and Patch reminds her: ‘You were at his funeral’… ‘Oh! That Ian!’ It still gets me!

3.       If you saw someone making the Ampersand moves on a friend, would you try and stop them?

Simon Phillips: Not really. Anyone stupid enough to fall for that technique deserves someone like Ampersand as a boyfriend!

4.       What’s the worst dating advice anyone has ever given you?

Simon Phillips: And I quote: ‘Mate, just ignore her all night, then she’ll know you really want her’… What makes that worse is I followed this particular advice…because I am an idiot.

5.       What has been the geekiest moment of your life?

Simon Phillips: Wow, the geekiest moment – and there has been lots – but, most recently, we did a film with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker from Star Wars) and I would catch myself just staring at him replaying Star Wars as he talked. I think he caught me doing it once. Either that or he thought I had a crush on him. Not sure which I would preferred he believed!

6.       Did Martin Kemp relish the opportunity to play his character?

Simon Phillips: For Martin I think this was something totally different, he certainly looks like he was having fun – but we only had one scene together so I didn’t get to ash him. But, come on, you’ve seen the film – You know he enjoyed it!

7.       How did you manage to get Richard E Grant on board?

Simon Phillips: Richard E. Grant told me he liked the title, which was a good start and then all we had to do was just make sure his role was funny and pivotal enough for it to be worthwhile for him – which we did and I think he’s awesome.

8.       What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?

Simon Phillips: I once had a first date with a girl I went to school with and I spilt Coke and popcorn all over her at the start of the film – we were both really nervous – and I didn’t know what to do. So she just sat through the whole movie in soaking wet sticky clothes as she didn’t want to walk out. Needless to say Monday morning back at school wasn’t the easiest time I have ever had! I’ll leave the jokes to your imagination, but needless to say I was nicknamed ‘premature boy’ for about 3 months.

9.       As well as acting, you’ve also produced a lot of films. Which do you prefer?

Simon Phillips:  I always prefer acting. It’s very liberating to be told: “You can’t be stupid enough in this scene, so just go for it.” But I do also like having an input into casting people that I think would be great, it’s lots of fun to be involved in that way too. But – lots more work!

10.   You are most well-known for the JACK trilogy. Do you ever think it would reach its cult status?

Simon Phillips:  The JACK trilogy was an amazing journey for me, it was the first ever British feature film narrative trilogy (that’s a mouthful!), and so it was great and something very different for us. The last in the trilogy, Jack Falls, was an awesome experience and we were all very proud of the result. It’s been a big success worldwide too, which I think is something that surprised us all, but for me personally it has opened a lot of doors.

11.   You’ve done a few movies with Dominic Burns, how has your relationship developed over the years?

Simon Phillips: I have only known Dom about four years, but it feels much longer. We’ve done six films together now, which is a lot in a short space of time, but we have grown to trust each other a great deal. I have enormous respect for him and what he wants to achieve and we came up into the industry together, so I think anyone will find it tough to break what we have now. We’re on the same page regarding what needs doing on any film project – which I think helps a great deal. And long may he continue to trust me to portray his characters!

12.   Any interesting stories from working with Keith Chegwin and Vanessa Feltz in Kill Keith?

Simon Phillips:  Kill Keith was a crazy idea, which I loved. I didn’t get to work with Keith directly on the film, but Marc Pickering could make me laugh at any given moment.. It’s just his face, it cracks me up – I am sure he’ll love to hear that.

13.   You went to drama school in London, what other advice would you give to those wishing to follow in your footsteps?

Simon Phillips: Work hard, not just at any project you’re on, but also develop relationshipswith people that you’d like to work with. The amount of times I have got work through recommendations (rather than auditioning) is scary, and this business is all about connections so use what you have around you.

14.   Can you tell us what’s next in store?

Simon Phillips:  Airborne, the film I mentioned with Mark Hamill, is due for release this year, so very much looking forward to that. I also have another comedy called Strippers VS Werewolves coming up in April 2012, which was great fun for me as it was completely out of this world! I have also just finished UFO with Bianca Bree, Sean Brosnan and Jean Claude Van Damme, but I don’t thinking am allowed to say much more about that one as they will probably kill me if I give anything away! But it’s going to be awesome and scary, dammit I have said too much already, my phone has started to ring! I think Dom can sense when I am about to give the plot away!

How to Stop Being a Loser is on DVD from 6^th February, pre-order it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stop-Being-Loser-DVD/dp/B0064MMNBC

In answering that we need to first understand the form these groups use. Their sketches progress through four stages. The beginning is short, introducing the driving issue within a minute or so. That is followed by the crazy spiral, an uncontrolled plummet down a hole of extremely weird plot progression. For example, in BriTaNick’s A Monologue for Three, a simple inability to remember a line of Shakespearian dialogue somehow leads to Nick’s hand gaining a face and screaming in French. Next comes the conclusion, in which the issue is resolved, if anything even faster than it is introduced. And then, like a cherry on top, comes the twist, providing a final chuckle before the credits roll

But winning at life

This then is a structure that lends itself very well to quick storytelling. Of course this is no accident: the attention span of the average internet consumer would seem short to a toddler with ADD. On the internet, the luxury of prolonged attention is generally only provided to sites with an XXX-rating. However this actually works in comedy’s favour.

See, because the issue needs to be introduced, complicated and resolved within a few minutes, the sketches often possess fantastic comic timing. Beat follows beat with the rapidity of machine-gun fire. From this the sketch gains a kind of comic momentum, like a fat man rolling downhill. If a sketch is good, it is easy to lose yourself in it.

This momentum also makes the crazy spiral work, because you never spend enough time with the weird to have it be alienating. Nothing reflects this better than the films of Filmcow. I have watched videos of theirs in which a whale and a fish hold each other at gunpoint, or llamas discuss the edibility of human faces, without at any point during thinking ‘Wait. WTF?!’

Even this somehow makes perfect sense

But this momentum is not simply the result of a pan-Internet behavioural disorder. In order to rapid-fire jokes, you need to possess multiple jokes to burn. Luckily the time internet sketch comics have, allows them to meet this need. Writers can afford to burn multiple independent jokes on a single sketch, because they have weeks between each sketch to think of more.

But possessing this time gives internet sketch writers the opportunity to do more than write jokes. Indeed, at this point, TomSka, BriTaNick, Filmcow and the like could probably write crazy spirals in their sleep. As such, they can use that time to start thinking about how to give their sketches meaning.

All creative endeavours have three main targets: body, mind and soul. A mastery of technique provides excellent access to the bodily reaction, the act of laughter. But to get at the others, you need a bit more than that. To get at the mind, you need themes to explore, either through satirical mockery or laughing along with them. Meanwhile getting at the soul requires the interaction of well-developed characters.

Though Satan prefers using the guns

But, and most importantly, reaching mind or soul requires a command of tone. You need to be able to transition between serious and comic scenes smoothly, and establish a balance between the two elements. An overly comic sketch will rob the serious moments of their power, while being too serious just makes the whole thing a drag to watch: not what you want from something purporting to be comedy.

It is not easy to hit someone in the brain or soul. But trying is necessary: talent should never be content to rest on its laurels. And already, there are examples that show the progression to artistry is possible. SMBC Theatre and BriTaNick, with videos like God’s Press Conference and Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever, are groups definitely up to the challenge of satire. The crazy spiral in particular is a great tool for it: nothing like a headlong rush into lunacy for mocking some ridiculous aspect of reality.

Character-based soul-punching meanwhile is less present. For me, the closest any internet group (that I’m aware of) has come to achieving it, is with the series Agents of Cracked. Set in a fictionalised Cracked office, writers Dan O’Brien (straight man) and Michael Swaim (possibly magical lunatic), repeatedly stumble into ridiculous adventures. Yet, despite the general office-based insanity, the series does occasionally conjure up the odd touching scene between the two leads. It’s by no means a flawless achievement. But it shows the potential depth sketch comedy can have, if it takes the time to establish character, setting and some sort of overarching plot.

Pictured: establishing character

To wrap up, I would say that internet sketch filmmaking has obvious potential for artistic depth. It has all the tools it needs at its disposal. The writing is snappy, the delivery honed, and the creators have the time to switch to a higher gear. The internet sketch comedy community has found a voice. All they need now is something to say.

Regardless of the quality of the film, I’ll view it in its entirety. And I’ve watched some stinkers.

It’s an unfortunate symptom of being a film nut that we will always have to separate the wheat from the chaff – and for me, it’s very evident in the horror genre that any ‘scary’ idea will be committed to film even if it’s executed in the worst possible way.

But that’s why I love it. When you wade through the terrible feature films purporting to be ‘horror’, there are real gems to be discovered. As a kid, I first experienced being scared out my wits thanks to a US/UK collaboration from director John Landis. Here are my thoughts.

An American Werewolf in London (Dir. John Landis, 1981, US)

I MAY have been only one when Landis’ horror about a man struggling with two identities was originally released, but when I finally reached an age where I could watch it, it scared the shit out of me.

In fact, I found it so terrifying that it took something like five attempts to get all the way through. Hey, don’t mock! I was a sensitive soul as a kid.

It’s this film that resulted in me falling in love with all things horror.

Maybe it was a combination of the black humour throughout, the quite stunning practical effects and the sheer terror it caused. Or maybe it was something to do with my fascination with werewolves.

Either way, An American Werewolf in London planted that seed deep inside my mind that ensured I’d enjoy watching anything that would scare me, freak me out or leave me feeling generally unsettled.

If you’ve never witnessed this slice of horror perfection (and if not, why the hell not?!), it’s the story of two American backpackers who find themselves in a living nightmare during there stay in the UK.

After a somewhat unwelcoming visit to a rural Yorkshire pub called The Slaughtered Lamb – that should have set off alarm bells right off the bat – David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne) are sent on their way with a warning ringing in their ears: “Stick to the road. Stay off the Moors.”

Unfortunately for them it’s the dead of night, it starts to rain – but worse than that, a chilling howl is heard in the distance. Before long, the creature is circling them and the duo realise they’re now on the Moors. Unfortunate, eh?

In what is reported by local police as a wild dog attack, Jack is mauled to death while David suffers a nasty scratch or two. And that scratch results in some unwanted murderous side-effects.

Cared for by nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter), David has to deal with his new found alternative identity.

As the body count rises in London, the distraught David must accept the fate of his full-moon induced transformation.

It’s always worth discussing the special make-up effects brought to life by the genius that is Rick Baker.

It’s no surprise Baker was the first make-up artist to receive an Oscar for his work in An American Werewolf in London. Even now, it’s an impressive fete – especially the horrific-yet-jaw-dropping transformation sequence that takes place in Alex’s flat.

It really has to be seen to be believed. Remember, this was the start of the 80s. CGI was still a relatively new concept. The practical effects suited horror much more. And that’s one of the major reasons it took me more than one viewing to see the film the whole way through. It plain terrified me.

The design of the werewolf was, it is said, a sticking point between Landis and Baker. It’s understood Baker wanted the beast as a bipedal creature while Landis wanted a four-footed ‘hound from hell’.

In the end, the final look of the werewolf was based on Baker’s dog Bosko.

Another aspect of the film that always stuck with me was the use of Bad Moon Rising – performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The jaunty, almost upbeat nature of the song belies what takes place on screen as David changes into the wolf, enduring pain and terror all the way through.

One other example of the black humour involved in An American Werewolf in London is the continual reappearance of Jack over the course of the film.

Despite his brutal death, he returns on occasion to warn David of what’s in store for him. Each time he turns up, his body is slightly more decayed than it previously was and he still remains relatively upbeat.

It was these small touches that gave me a thirst for horror.

And I won’t even try to explain the bizarre nightmare within a dream sequence David experiences that involves gun-wielding monster Nazi terrorists – yup, that’s right. You haven’t mis-read any of that.

The scene is as abrupt as it is petrifying and Landis manages to do in under a minute what most horror directors fail to do in an entire movie – scare the bejeezus out of us.

Even more jarring in this sequence is the fact David’s younger sister and brother are massacred as they watch an episode of The Muppets giving it an added menace.

It may have no real link to the rest of the film, but it’s still a scene that seared itself into my memory.

So if you’re a fan of horror who hasn’t seen this, then sort it out. And sort it quickly.

I have to thank Landis for making An American Werewolf in London. Had it not been for this film, I may have never been drawn into the genre as deeply as I was.

A true classic.

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Holy Flying Circus will be released on DVD by FremantleMedia Enterprises on 6th February 2012.

Question:

So how can you enter to win this awesome prize? The first thing you need to do is go over to the EatSleepLiveFilm.com facebook page and ‘like’ us, then you need to complete the following quote:

‘He’s not the messiah, he’s a ……………’

Please send your answer to editor@eatsleeplivefilm.com with the subject ‘Python’ and the winner will be drawn out by random. The deadline for entries is Sunday 12th February; any entries after that date will not be counted.

**This competition is bought to you by Embed-a-Comp**

PICK OF THE WEEK: TYRANNOSAUR (Paddy Considine, 2011, UK)

Paddy Considine’s feature directorial debut Tyrannosaur may be the most criminally underseen release of last year. Despite getting good word from virtually all critics and being nominated for, and winning, many BIFAs as well as seeing Paddy Considine nominated for a BAFTA, StudioCanal just couldn’t get the cinema chains in the UK to give it all that much of a chance. Hopefully the Blu-Ray release will rectify this somewhat.

I wrote up a piece all about Tyrannosaur and why I believe it deserves to be seen by a larger audience a couple of months back and (insert link) so I won’t go on too much but it’s a masterclass of acting both from Peter Mullan and maybe somewhat more unexpectedly Olivia Coleman who manages to get out of the comedic actress template in one fell swoop with a role which should see her getting a lot of attention over the coming year. It’s also a brave choice for an actor turned director and recalls in that respect Gary Oldman’s Nil By Mouth in being a wholly un-glamourous and all the more striking for it debut which refuses to pull its pounches but at the same time never really strikes me as “misery porn” as it has some critics. It’s a strong film but the reasons for why are always legitimate, thaere’s never a sense that the film is wallowing in it.

Extras look to be solid if not remarkable but then ths isn’t exactly Transfomers 3, but what you do get looks solid with a commentary from Paddy Considine which judging from the interviews he did promoting the film should prove frank and insightful, deleted scenes, a trailer and perhaps most interestingly, Dog Altogether, the short Considine made which essentially turned out to be the starting point for Tyrannosaur.

For around £15 online, it may be a little rich for some for a blind buy but fans of decent Britflicks, or just plain good cinema, should take the time to have a look. For more on the Blu, check out Garry’s review right here.

LEGEND (Ridley Scott, 1985, USA/UK) 

Ridley Scott has always been a bit of a genre whore, flitting around from sci-fi to action epic to historical drama to (apparently ill-advised) romantic comedy but there aren’t too many straight up fantasy films in his catalogue. The one there is though is a bit of a beauty.

Seen as a bit of a creative failure on release, and not exactly setting the box office alight either, this was for a while seen as Scott’s great folly, a case of too much money overegging the pudding as such. I only first watched Legend sometime last year and in watching the Director’s Cut I don’t see these complaints at all. On original release there were likely problems by having a far shorter cut which contained a score which Scott wasn’t all that happy with and when the film is around 20 minutes shorter than the director wants it to be, there’s going to be a huge problem.

In the Director’s Cut however, there is a fantastical, stirring and very dark fantasy which certainly isn’t aimed at children. While the Tom Cruise/Mia Sara relationship is the stuff of basic fairytale storytelling, you need look only at characters such as the androgynous sidekick Cruise gains along the way and Tim Curry’s seminal and frankly terrifying Darkness to see that this isn’t a film for the little ones. As a. I am not a little one and b. I don’t have any little ones, I couldn’t care less and I just let the opulent, lush visuals, oh-so-80′s creatures and wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score (which isn’t in the Theatrical Cut) to set me on my way.

Initially I had a rather pleased paragraph written out as for some reason I thought the extras on this disc mirrored Universal’s “Ultimate Edition” Blu available in the US. Looking at the disc last night was a bit of a surprise. Over there you’ve got an audio commentary from Scott and a near hour long making-of. Here? Well, we get the Director’s Cut.. and a trailer. I’m all for trailers on discs but this is just shabby. While the disc is released by Fox over here and so I suppose there could be some rights issues, it’s still pretty bloody poor that there is nothing of value on this disc. People who pay up for Legend on Blu are going to be the real fans of the film who want the best treatment and hey, even the Director’s Cut gets shafted here with a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track, compared to the DTS-HD 5.1 version available on the US disc, something Fox should have been able to source with ease. It’s a disappointing show for a film which may already struggle to sell.

Available for around £11 online, I’d suggest not doing as I did and buying it and instead going to MovieTyme.com where you can buy the region free US disc for £14.99. It’ll be worth it. But hey, if anyone still wants the UK disc, I’ll give you a good price for it…

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

One Day – Disappointing literary adaptation which suffers from a general sense of “so what?” and a brutal accent from Anne Hathaway

Friends With Benefits – The definition of Saturday night pizza and film fodder?

Footloose – Apparently decent remake from Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer

Four Weddings & A Funeral – Classic Britflick comedy, you all know what this is

Teen Wolf – Pure 80′s cheese

Thelma & Louise – I need to watch this at some point

I Don’t Know How She Does It – Fuck off

MORE NEXT WEEK!!!

I had it in my head that this film was made in the early 2000′s but it’s only as recent as 2009 so it’s hardly a true retro review perse, in my mind at least. What I also didn’t know is that the Solomon Kane film is based on stories written that span back as far as 1928. So rather than some flippant made up character for the sake of making a new hero in a film, we have an already established one with plenty of lore. Directed by Michael J. Bassett and starring James Purefoy as the titles character along with Max Von Sydow and Pete Postlethwaite, Solomon Kane is an (almost) sweeping fantasy epic film set in the early 1600′s in a time of witchcraft, brutality and eeeeeevil. Kane is introduced in the beginning via a great action set piece of a village being annihilated by he and his men. His lack of sympathy is played off well by Purefoy, delivering a convincing personality bereft of morality. So well in fact, I thought we were actually watching the rise of Solomon Kane’s arch nemesis in the beginning, not Kane himself. I guess that’s fitting as through the film, it’s Kane’s darker side that is his true nemesis, the reason being that killing in battle for Kane is as easy as breathing is to us. Kane is scum at the beginning of this film and it’s his slow redemption throughout the film that holds a lot of sway with me as a viewer. I enjoy films where the main storyline is a character of little emotion or care, finding what it is to be truly human again.

Kane finds that his soul is forever damned to hell and vows to never kill again and be a man of peace. Of course, you just know that he’ll change his mind some way through the film or it would be a pretty boring affair. Meeting up with a priest and his family, they request that he joins them on their journey. Along the way, what happens to the family was a pleasant shock to the system from what you usually expect in these films. There are many instances in Solomon Kane where you think you know what they’ll do with a particular scene, and quite the opposite happens. It’s always refreshing when this happens in film as the same old tropes are usually used because someone assumes that’s “what the people want”. Films are at their best when they leave you speechless and unsuspecting. Solomon Kane does this in a few places but also falls into many cliched plot points as well. Once Kane renounces his peaceful vow, he pretty much rampages through the enemy to find the truth about who he is up against, that leads right back to his childhood and some deals with the devil.

Religion features very strongly throughout and considering I’m a godless heathen, you would think that this kind of subject matter would put me off even watching it but it’s really quite the opposite. I love films based on religion. It’s the ultimate fairytale and great fantasy fodder for film. Films like Constantine, Demon Knight, The Omen, The Exorcist or anything along this theme have plenty to love about them. You don’t have to believe it to be immersed into the world and enjoy it on a movie level. Solomon Kane falls directly into the same spot. Kane himself is portrayed as a Jesus type character who is excellent at killing people, kind of an oxymoron really. They even go so far as to have him crucified. I do think they went a little overboard on this film with it. We also get plenty of slo-mo hero posturing with powerful orchestral music to put across the feeling that Kane is not to be fucked with.

Other problems arise, and this could be a more personal thing for me alone, but I hated it in this film where Kane is lanced clean through his shoulder with a sword from back to front, then once the sword is pulled out he just keeps on fighting like nothing happened until there’s a small break in the fight where he grips his shoulder in pain. I’m sorry, but that isn’t a good enough portrayal of a seriously injured man. Too many films do this with one exception being in my last review of Jack’s Back where I noted one of the bad guys getting kicked in the balls and not getting up from it. Bravo. Kane however just keeps on going like nothing happened. When this happens in these films, all it does is cause you to care less about the plight of the character and you have almost no worry about him getting killed, or even hurt for that matter. That is not a good thing for a film. It happens a lot with films these days and though most people would just pass it off as adrenaline getting them through or whatever, I just can’t buy it.

There’s plenty of awesome swordfighting choreography in this film. It’s not everyday that you see a swordfight between two people with one of them completely on fire. This was a great highlight and a precursor to the final showdown which sadly felt a lot more like a boss fight in a videogame. This seemed really out of place in comparison to the rest of the film and was pretty anticlimactic which is a shame. For the Devil, you’d think he’d have a bit more clout than that. His reaper at the beginning set piece was far more scary, imposing and intimidating than anything else in the whole film. I was hoping Kane would go up against Satan’s Reaper again but ’twas not to be.

Apart from these problems, Solomon Kane is a great piece of entertainment albeit a little derivative. There are definitely some shocks you won’t see coming and some plot lines that you will. All the roles are delivered with enough weight to be convincing and the set piece battles and CG effects are of above average quality. Some of the cliched plot holes could’ve easily been avoided but that was obviously what they thought would be the best path to take. Otherwise, this is solidly enjoyable flick. A grade action in a B grade film.

Like all sub-genres, found footage will inevitably go in and out of fashion. Equally, they will succeed or fail based purely on whether or not they are interesting, innovative or simply feed the needs of the movie-going zeitgeist. While their roots will probably remain firmly in horror, they may wander into sci-fi territory from time to time. They may be hijacked by the major studios to produce thrills on the cheap, or even allow young film-makers an outlet to explore their creativity without the need for massive financial backing. But the point is, with a little ingenuity and care, they are as relevant as anything else out there when done well.

This week, found footage stretches its legs into the world of the ‘real-life comic book hero’ with Chronicle, which has been pretty heavily marketed in pre-roll video over the last month in a bid to tempt YouTubers and those with a penchant for documenting their every thought and waking hour. The story follows three friends who develop strange powers after an encounter with a mysterious underground object they find in what looks like the site of a meteor crash. The problem is, while these new abilities are fun at first, it isn’t long before they start to have a more damaging effect on one of the group. But if you’ve been on the internet at any point in the last three weeks, you probably know all that, so I’ll cut to the chase.

One of the biggest issues a film of this nature faces is the continual query of ‘why would someone be filming that?’ In the past, even the more well made found footage features have had me screaming at the characters to put the camera down and take care of the bigger issues that are playing out within the story. Happily, I can say that Chronicle not only sidesteps this problem, but to a degree uses it to its own advantage. Sure, there are occasions where you might question the source of the footage you’re seeing, but on the whole it all makes sense. Initially, we have the lead character Andrew, who’s abusive father, dying mother and troublesome school life give him a perfect reason to distance himself from the world with a lens. As his powers develop, he finds he can control the camera without his hands – which not only means the movie has a more justified ‘ever-present eye’ it also supplies it with a more interesting cinematic tool.

After a short lag in the middle of the story, which feels a little like a bunch of fake viral marketing ads strung together, things really pick up pace. In fact it is probably the last third of Chronicle which I think is most effective, certainly in terms of innovation and entertainment. We switch from the one, two or occasionally three handheld cameras being used by various cast members to a blend of CCTV, dash-mounted police video and security cameras during the climactic battle sequence. There’s a set-piece involving Seattle’s Space Needle that takes this even further by revealing the breadth of Andrew’s obsession with hiding behind the lens and gives the movie the ability to create a more traditional stand-off scene between him and his best friend Matt.

There are a bunch of small things that crop up from time to time that, if I was being picky, I could have a moan about. Why, for instance, would so much effort be made to find someone to ‘capture’ this underground thingy on camera when the person in question had an iPhone 4, or why was the main female character Casey so insistent on filming everything for her blog (including, apparently, people who come to her front door)? But really, it didn’t matter. As I say, there’s a little bit of a lull in the middle, but the last act more than makes up for it.

I’ll continue to look forward to found footage movies as long as Hollywood (and everywhere else for that matter) continues to make decent ones. Some will be bad, some will be great, but in this case I’m happy to say Chronicle is the latter.

However, despite a furore that saw one dedicated fan die of plutonium poisoning in a bid to travel back to the past to kill the parents of the film’s producer Brian Grazer, the project went ahead. So, with all that in mind, what has director Brad Bird been able to do with a $250 million budget and an unprecedented amount of expectation weighing down on his shoulders?

One of the trickiest parts of the production was always going to be recasting – especially when it came to the lead role. Luckily, Donald Glover brings the perfect balance of comedy and natural charm to Marty McFly, giving the character a new lease of life that isn’t too reliant on our own nostalgic sensibilities. Of course, some suggested the casting of Glover was a clever attempt to make the online community too scared to complain, at risk being accused of racism, but it seems to have been a move that paid off. Unfortunately, no such care was taken with the announcement that a product placement deal with Toyota would see the iconic DeLorean replaced with a Prius, a decision which of course led to the global rioting which left 1,642 people dead and one injured.

So, as far as the story is concerned, most of the major plot points are still intact. Of course, seeing young Marty travel back to 1982 from 2012 makes for some pretty major shifts, but it all goes towards making sure the film has its own unique flavour. This works particularly well in the climactic scene where Marty plays alongside Alan Springsteen, explaining to his band that despite his skin colour he was in fact “born in the USA” – thus accidentally inspiring the name of Alan’s cousin’s future hit record. Unfortunately, this same theme leads to a performance of the ’82 smash ‘Ebony and Ivory’ between Marty and Doc Brown that was, at best, misguided.

Doc Brown himself though is played quite brilliantly by John C Reilly and, while never as breathless and manic as Christopher Lloyd, he remains very entertaining throughout. Questions had been raised during production about rendering his best pal Einstein completely in CGI, but thanks to the talents of Andy Serkis, it has to be said the move was something of a masterstroke. Elsewhere, Tom Hardy’s Biff Tannen is more powerful than ever before, delivering lines like “What are you looking at butthead?” with a simmering menace that makes his surprise nomination for Best Supporting Actor at this year’s Academy Awards absolutely justified.

One of the most interesting choices, however, has to be the casting of Marty’s parents. Michael Shannon does a wonderful job as George McFly and Elizabeth Banks’ portrayal of Lorraine is delightful in both her future and past guises. Marty jokes that his mom “was born a nun”, so when he discovers the young Lorraine was a cocaine-fuelled Hall & Oates groupie, it’s a hilarious and welcome shock to everyone.  I had no problems whatsoever with Banks performing a striptease to The J. Gelis Band’s ‘Centrefold’ (while dressed as a nun), but while I understand how her actually having sex with her son explained his ethnicity, I have to say the scene opened up something of a gaping plot hole and left a very bitter taste in my mouth – as, by the looks of it, it did hers.

There are a few missteps, it has to be said. Jennifer Lawrence as Marty’s girlfriend is given very little to do and I could have done with a great deal more of Stanley Tucci hilariously screaming “Slacker” at his pupils as the terrifyingly militaristic Mr Strickland. Overall though, this was pretty solid stuff – let’s hope JJ Abrams’ now confirmed remake of The Goonies is half as good.

Having been a star in front of the camera in many a Shane Meadows movie, Considine has turned his hand to working behind it. And he’s created a film that paints a very real picture of people dealing with their own demons.

Joseph (Peter Mullen) is man filled with rage. It’s fuelled by his reliance on alcohol. He reacts to any stressful situation by lashing out – as witnessed with a shocking attack on his own dog. Given this is how it all kicks off (no pun intended), it’s apparent Considine is going for the gritty, realism of the dramas he’s been part of in the past.

A chance meeting with Hannah (Olivia Colman) at the charity shop in which she works leads to an unlikely bond with what is, in truth, a stranger.

Hannah’s a timid housewife with her own secrets. Behind closed doors her ‘doting’ husband James (Eddie Marsan) takes no issue with giving her a good beating whenever takes his fancy. To counter her feelings of being a failure as a wife, Hannah regularly hits the bottle, trying to block out the bad things happening to her.

The violence comes to a head when James brutally attacks her, culminating in sexual assault.

At this point, Hannah turns to Joseph for shelter and protection. Joseph takes her in, determined to help her get through her ordeal – firstly by going back to her home and collecting her belongings and leaving her husband.

As they begin to form a closer relationship, Joseph begins to back off, seemingly apprehensive about this burgeoning friendship. He admits he’s only capable of looking after himself and urges Hannah to seek help in her recovery from what she’s been through.

As the layers of each character peel away, it climaxes with a shock revelation that has repercussions for everyone involved.

Considine displays a confidence and flair for direction that will excite film lovers ahead of any future projects. The casting choices for the lead roles are inspired with Mullen outstanding as Joseph.

He plays a man living with the guilt of past indiscretions and hoping to atone for this mistakes perfectly. When Hannah comes into his life, he sees her as the perfect opportunity to make amends. However, he doesn’t expect to develop any feelings for her. The sadness in his eyes when revealing all about his wife is heartbreaking, making his plight all the more believable.

Colman is a revelation as Hannah. How she hasn’t received any awards recognition from the ‘big two’ is quite remarkable. Her portrayal of a broken woman who lives with the naive hope that her life will somehow change with no effort from herself or husband is nothing short of genius. When James tells her he’ll change (after battering her), she sadly thinks he will.

However, as is almost always the case in real life, that change never transpires.

She sees a fellow lost-soul in the shape of Joseph and hopes he can help bring her out the other side unscathed.

Tyrannosaur is full of depressingly real and uncomfortable scenes, outstanding performances and, surprisingly, one of the most heart-warming sequences seen in cinema.

It comes during the wake of one of Joseph’s friends. As family and mates gather, they drink, sing and dance remembering the life of their friend. It’s during the sequence involving them dancing that viewers will feel their hearts swell. It’s the first – and possibly only – time in the film we see Joseph and Hannah genuinely enjoying themselves.

The smiles on their faces show real happiness that’s in stark contrast to everything else going on in their lives. It’s a small glimmer of hope in an ocean of despair.

Tyrannosaur is a carefully crafted piece of British cinema that will stay for you with days.

EXTRAS:

Dog Altogether – the short film that was turned into the feature-length Tyrannosaur

Audio Commentary with Director Paddy Considine

Deleted Scenes

Stills Gallery

Trailer

Booklet

Tyrannosaur is released on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday, February 6.