Film #111: The Night Comes For Us

The crazy martial artists from The Raid films are back in a ridiculously violent over the top film, and it'll be one of my favourite films of the year.

A mercenary gets a conscience, and is hunted down for not completing the mission he's tasked to do. Tracked by a bunch of assassins the guy tries to survive.

Intense fight sequences, a great selection of weapons and some holy shit moments throughout this is an incredible addition to the Netflix lineup.

Gigs #83-85: Lebrock, ORAX & Robert Parker @ Camden Underworld

Another synthwave night at the Underworld and I had 3 acts tonight.

Lebrock were more on the rock side but sounded pretty good. 

Orax was probably the better act of the night but not much to see on stage, just a nerd behind a laptop.

and the only thing I can remember about Robert Parker is that he had a big 80s hairstyle

Event: The Grid

An immersive experience that has you hacking a company office to get their secrets. Part cocktail tasting, part escape room and without giving too much away it was a good way to kill a couple of hours, and being told I was the first to complete one of the puzzles was a nice thing to hear too!

Gigs #81 & 82: Rosko & Haiku Hands @ Corsica Studios

This one came out of the blue but having heard "Not About You" a year or so ago and really liking it an opportunity to see them play in London couldn't be turned down.

Support came from an OK band called Rosko who had a pretty entertaining lead singer doing his best to work with a very small crowd, most of them friends of the band. There was one entertaining section where a suit-clad friend clearly coming to the gig from work was given an opportunity to rap into the mic and he was pretty good!

The main act were excellent although I think they're missing a member. I'm sure in the video there were 4 members, but here we only had 3. I'd got to the event early and they were taking photos outside in their multi-coloured jumpsuits. On stage they were a bundle of "don't really care, we're having fun" attitude with their silly dance routines and shouty shouty rap. But I was wanting to be entertained and I got it. Great crowd participation with them entering through us and their final song Super Villain having them come back into the crowd to dance with us. 

Probably my most fun little gig of the year. They deserve a bigger stage though!

Event: Magic Circle @ Red Lion Theatre

A small play that's part of a horror season in London. 

Written by Kim Newman (who I only know from Bizarre magazine, but who has written books) and starring James Hyland and Michael Shon we have a battle of wits between a police investigator and occultist at the site of a mass killing.

It was pretty good with great performance but very heavy on the dialogue and tough to keep up with at times.

Film #110: Mandy

When the Prince Charles Cinema announces a run of a film you've not heard of, you know it's likely to be something special and that's exactly what Mandy is! Miss it at your peril.

Nicholas Cage plays a lumberjack who's wife is killed by cult who have the ability to call on a bunch of dark demons on motorbikes. Nick gets angry and his revenge on the lot of them.

Visually bizarre and bonkers to boot.

Event: QEDCon

Another excellent weekend up in Manchester for QEDCon, the annual get together for skeptics and the like. A couple of days full of interesting talks, lectures and opportunities to meet like minded folk.

Best summed up by the rather excellent intro video.

 

I'll be back in 2020 as they're having a well deserved year off.

Film #109: A Quiet Place

The final film of the marathon and a chance to rewatch what I think will be my film of the year. Emily Blunt and her real life husband, whose name escapes me play a couple with some kids, and one on the way who find themselves camped out in an area overrun with alien creatures with an acute sense of hearing.

An incredible bit of cinema that shows the power of silence..

Film #108: The Babadook

Probably the worst of the films shown tonight; not because it's bad; I just found it uncomfortable to watch. A single-mum struggles to deal with her autistic kid who is convinced The Babadook, a monster from a book, is alive.

There are some very tough scenes and I hope the kid actor was protected during some of the more tough scenes. Incredible acting but unbearable at times. 

Film #107: It Follows

It Follows was a film I hadn't seen before and I quite enjoyed it.

The horror in this one comes from a curse passed from having sex that comes in the form of a shape-changing demon that kills you if it catches up with you.

I like that the monster walks slowly but never stops. A clever variation on the endless running from a monster we usually get.

Currently it's the highest rated horror on Rotten Tomatoes and there are plans for a sequel; it doesn't need it.

Film #106: Don't Breathe

The third film of the night was a mystery choice and a great one, getting a nice little cheer from the audience as it started.

3 teenagers break into an blind veteran's house to steal some money he has stashed away. They misunderstood how savvy, and alert he is. Then they realise they've underestimated how twisted he is.

Really good!

Film #105: You're Next

2nd film in the modern horror all-nighter and a great one. It was really good to see this film a second time.

A bunch of grown up kids and their partners go and visit their parents and a group of sadistic hunters crash their party. Some excellent scares, a good story and some nice twists and turns made this one of the better films of the night.

Film #104: Get Out

Part of a modern horror all-nighter and a film I'd seen earlier in the year but a good one as we get the story of a black guy who's taken to meet his white girlfriend's parents who are a bit too friendly towards him.

A great debut from the director who is onto greater things.

Now I'll just go and make myself a cup of tea.

Gig #80: Chemical Brothers @ Alexandra Palace

My second time to see the Chemicals where following an excellent first show at Blue Dot I got to see them on their London leg of their European tour. Much the same show with the incredible visuals and great track selection. The set is so tight I don't know how live it can really be though.

Film #103: Venom

A slight spinoff from the Marvel universe has Tom Hardy playing Eddie Brock, a man who's lost his job and is taken over by a symbiote.

Great effects but Tom acts too hard, and a little more tongue-in-cheek feel to the film would have been preferred. It's instantly unforgettable.  

Gig #79: They Might Be Giants @ Barbican

A night for the 90s music geeks as TMBG rolled into London as part of their World Tour. A band I think I saw at Reading many years ago but one that has changed over the years with dozens of albums to their name though; I'll admit to be being a big fan of the earlier ones though.

Tonight we had two sets and a couple of encores that ran for almost 2.5 hours, great for the fans, and moreso because it was a sitdown show in the rather excellent Barbican theatre; which served as my graduation ceremony location and a KLF Y2K gig I saw in '99.

The band were excellent with an absolutely incredible jazz trumpeter Curt Ramm who has played with the likes of Springsteen in the past. 

The track selection was really good too with welcome nods to the earlier tracks as well as some off the more recent albums. I left happy!