Shine Set Repeat - Texas Is On Fire

Advantages: Dakato Fanning
Disadvantages: Slightly lengthy

...This is the second film I have seen starring Dakato Fanning in a week or two and I have decided she is the best little actress around, the other film being hide and seek which we see at the cinema. In this film she stars along Denzel Washington and plays a young daughter of wealthy parents who live in Mexico. Her Mother is American and her father an heir... THE STORY In Mexico there were 24 kidnappings in a period of 6 days, and the police seem slow in catching the kidnappers. So Pita?s (Fanning) parents start the search for a replacement body guard for their beloved daughter. The fifth applicant is Washington who plays John Creasy, the fact that he and Pita?s mother share the same nationality (American) swings him the job in his favour. He starts the job and considers it as exactly that ? employment, even when Pita tries to get... Read review

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Advantages: Stephen King's claim to fame ; Superb atmosphere ; Sublime plot ; A vivid imagination that stretches all supernatural boundaries ; Probably responsible for some of the best horror films of the 70's and 80's
Disadvantages: Some unessesary background in the first half ; Kubrik mucked up the story too much ; Could have been much more

...Being thoroughly refreshed and cheerful following my Misery conquest, an adrenaline rush urged me to stick my nose into yet another King classic, The Shining. Of course, generally when you've seen a certain Jack Nicholson film more times than you care to remember, you start to wonder, why bother? But then you hear how Stanley Kubrick practically threw Stephen King's novel into the fire after a quick skim read and went about making his own super version, makes you pretty inclined to read the novel that made King the bestseller he is today. Initially I was apprehensive about starting the book as I'd heard some negativity surrounding the content of the first few hundred pages. I honestly wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. For a 500 page novel I shot through it in less than a week and enjoyed it immensely, even more so than... Read review

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Advantages: Great acting, good story and revenge served cold!
Disadvantages: End scene

...Man On Fire is one of the best films I have seen in the past 18 months and has successfully made its way onto my "Top 10 Films of all time". Although it probably didn't gross as much as it deserved through the cinema (in my opinion down to poor marketing) it is a must see DVD experience. I was apprehensive that Denzel Washington would be playing the stereo-typical down trodden black man but his performance is more than that. He keeps you guessing throughout the film what has caused him to act in the manner he does; although never clearly explained it allows you to make your own assumptions. I really enjoyed the way the film was shot (no pun intended) as it gave you a real feel for what certain areas of Mexico City must be like, the music throughout the film is also fantastic; fans of the Gladiator soundtrack will not be... Read review

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