On a Father Hunt (Out this week - 17/09/10)

I'm in an awkward position this week as I'm completing the round-up of releases too early to have confirmed scores for the excitometer on 5 of the 12 films hitting multiplexes. Any one of those films could turn out to be excellent, or at least slightly better than I'm currently predicting. That said they are highly unlikely to reach the critical heights of our film of the week Winter's Bone.



Devil

M. Night Shyamalan, as producer of this high concept horror (strangers trapped in a lift wit Satan himself), is all over the publicity. Given his poor form as a director of late I'm sure that will be considered a big mistake.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○ (This is a provisional figure)



Distant Mirage

British film tackling the issues of arranged marriages and spousal abuse in the Indian community. Probably not for the faint hearted.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○ (This is a provisional figure)

F

As in exam failed mark. Watch a number of faceless students barricade their teachers into the school, I expect this is a commentary of the zombiefication of teenagers.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Horde

Talking about Zombies, Paris is beset by them in this dirty looking French horror. I doubt it's a good investment.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Ik Kundi Punjab Di

From Bollywood this week comes a simple story about a girl who wants to be treated like one of the guys, and the struggles against society to make that so. The poster (she's carrying a hoe) appears to be selling a certain attachment to chauvinism.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○ (This is a provisional figure)

Just Wright

In such a poor week sows ears like this basketball player/sports agent romantically attachments begin to look a lot like silk purses. With Common and Queen Latifah guiding the action and plenty of hoops to watch too this may be sightly diverting.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

The Kid

Nick Moran surprises with his first film, a harrowing tale of a abused child falling into bare-knuckle boxing as a method to channel his inexorable inner rage. Despite a stellar British cast this still looks largely missable.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Night of the Demons

I'd say this was an unnecessary remake, if anyone actually cared about the original enough to be insulted by it. As it is this will probably suffer the same fate as the earlier version.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

The Other Guys

Buddy Cop Comedy - so nothing original here - with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as the two least competent detectives on the precinct who find themselves deep in a massive case; with hilarious consequences. Samuel L. Jackson and The Rock play slightly more successful versions of our heroes.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○

Release

Bristolian made gay prison drama involving catholic priests, psychopathic inmates and inappropriate relations with the guards. Gets extra credit for stirring long hidden fantasies in the trailer.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○ (This is a provisional figure)

Savage

Irish thriller about a journalist involved in a serious crime who slowly finds his sanity creeping away as a result. Compared (and not completely unfavourably) to the early work of Scorsese.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○ (This is a provisional figure)

Winter's Bone

Jennifer Lawrence, who first came to everyone's attentions in The Burning Plain, is now getting some very serious awards attention for her strong willed teenager trying to find her father's who absconded leaving the family home as bail. Modern Noir at it's most powerful.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○