Film Review: The Devil Rides Out.

Release date: 20th July 1968.

Story: Old friends Nicholas Duc de Richleau and Rex Van Ryn call upon the son of their other friend. But they find out that he is getting involve with a devil worshipping cult who are trying to recruit him. They then decided to rescue him and another recruit (a woman named Tanith) from the cult. But they are soon battling for their lives and souls from the cults leader named Mocata.

My thoughts: This is my favourite Hammer Horror movie. Christopher Lee plays a great role as the hero and Charles Gray is great as the main villain. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley and when the film was released in the USA, its name was changed to The Devil's Bride due to the fact that the American audience may mistaken it to be a Western. Two of the best scenes in the film are the ceremony scene and the scene where Nicholas and a few others battle the forces of evil and encounter the Angel of Death. This movie is a classic example of Good vs Evil and fits alongside the likes of The Exorcist and The Omen.

My score: Five Stars.

Film Review: April Fools Day

Release date: March 28th 1986.

Story: A group of high school friends travel to a isolated mansion in the middle of an island for spring break. But they soon discover that the mansion is laced with practical jokes. Some that they find offensive and not at all great. But it soon becomes an nightmare when a serial killer starts targeting them.

My thoughts: I don't like this movie. I thought that it was going to be your typical slasher killer flick. But I was disappointed by what I've got. The ending is what ruined it for me. Without giving too much away, the film's title explains everything.

My score: Two stars.

Film Review: Looney Tunes. Back in action.

Release date: November 9th 2003 (premiere release). November 14th 2003 (US release).

Story: Being sick and tired of being treated like the second banana to Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck quits Hollywood and moves in with a ex stuntman turned security guard DJ Drake (who Daffy also got fired). Only to find out that DJ's father (an famous actor who starred in parody James Bond movies) is in fact a real secret agent who is looking for a mystical blue diamond called The Blue Monkey Diamond before an evil agency gets their hands on it. Seeing this as an opportunity to finally stop being the punching bag, Daffy teams up with DJ and they set off to find the diamond before the evil agency (who as it turns out is the ACME corporation) do. This then takes them on a world trotting adventure along with Bugs Bunny and Kate Houghton (Vice president of Comedy) who have also found out about the diamond.

My thoughts: I'm pretty much a fan of the Looney Tunes cartoons. They made up most of my childhood and I still enjoy them even today. This was the third live action/animation hybrid to feature the Looney Tunes characters (one of them being Space Jam). The live action characters are ok. Steve Martin does a good performance as the childishly over the top chairman of the ACME corporation (who is the manufacturer of all of the weapons in the original Loony Tune cartoons) and Brendan Fraser is ok as DJ Drake. I have to say that there is a lot of things that I like about this movie. From the fact that there is a universe where cartoon characters live alongside humans to the multiple cameos in the film (one of them being Scooby Doo and Shaggy complaining about the recently released live action Scooby Doo movie). One of the places that the characters visit is Area 52 (a parody of Area 51) where we get to see aliens from classic B movies from the 50's and 60's (including Robby the robot, the Robot monster, the mutants from This planet Earth, and even the Daleks from the two Doctor Who movie adaptations). There may be some jokes in this that you may not like but if you are a Looney Tunes fan the I would recommend this.

My score: Four stars

Film Review: Bon voyage Charlie Brown (and don't come back!)

Release date: May 30th 1980.

Story: Charlie Brown, Linus Van Pelt, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie have been selected for a school exchange program. So the four of them (including Snoopy and Woodstock) are setting off to France. Meanwhile Charlie Brown receives a letter from a girl in France who somehow knows about him and invites him and his friends to stay at a Chateau. Who is this girl and how does she know about Charlie Brown? Watch the movie and find out.

My thoughts: I actually consider this to be my favourite out of the Peanut movies. Mainly I like traveling movies. There is even a segment where they stop of in London, England (how on earth did Snoopy and Woodstock managed to get pass England's strict laws that state that any animal that arrives in England must be placed in quarantine for some time I do not know) where they have to catch a hovercraft in Dover. There is even a sort of sequel to this in the form of a TV special named "What have we learned Charlie Brown?" which told that while on the way back home, Charlie Brown and the others come across Omaha Beach (one of the landing places during the D-Day invasion during World War Two) and the poppy fields of Ypres in Belgium (the site of many battles during World War One). This special was released during Memorial Day and one week prior to the 39th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Like I said this is a great cartoon and I would recommend it.

My score: Four stars.

Film Review: Race for your life, Charlie Brown.

Release date: August 24th 1977.

Story: The Peanuts gang (along with Snoopy and Woodstock) arrive at summer camp. While there they take part in a raft race and beat the local bullies. Can they active it? What the movie and find out.

My thoughts: This is my least liked of the Peanut movies. Mainly because I felt that the bullies let it down (with the fact that they are opening cheating in many of the camps events and get away with it. And also their slightly psychotic cat). But it is uplifting when Linus deals with them by whipping them with his blanket.

My score: Three stars.

Film Review: Snoopy, Come Home!

Release date: August 9th 1972.

Story: One day, Snoopy receives a letter from a girl named Lila. Saying that she is in the hospital and would like to have Snoopy visit her. Snoopy then immediately leaves with Woodstock (his closest friend who is a little yellow bird) accompanying him. Who is this Lila and what connection dose she have with Snoopy? Watch the movie and find out.

My thoughts: This is the second feature length film with the Peanut characters. Like the previous film, it has recycled segments from the comic strips that crop up now and then. The songs and musical segments are great and you can find yourself singing along with them. This is one part road trip movie (with Snoopy and Woodstock traveling to the hospital to visit Lila) and one part mystery movie (with Charlie Brown and his friends trying to find out who Lila is while also missing Snoopy). This is a good movie and I would recommend it.

My score: Four stars.

Film Review: A boy named Charlie Brown.

Release date: December 4 1969.

Story: Charlie Brown can never get a break in life. His baseball team keep loosing, he can never managed to kick the ball cause Lucy Van Pelt keeps pulling it away at the last second, and has a lot of faults. But one day his friend Linus Van Pelt inspires him to enter the school's spelling bee contest. Charlie Brown decides to enter (despite the other kids saying that he will fail) and is surprisingly good at it. Until that is when he gets picked for the National Spelling Bee contest in New York City. Will he win? Watch the movie and find out.

My thoughts: This is the very first big screen appearance of the Peanut characters by Charles M. Schulz. They recycled a lot of the original comic strips in the first act but the main story starts shortly afterwards. Being a fan of Peanuts and have a huge collection of books of the strips, I think that this is a good film. This has some jokes in it that will make you laugh and will make you root for Charlie Brown all through out the spelling bee.

My score: Three stars.