Spotlight – Dominic Cooper

Dominic Edward Cooper has always been one of those actors who, while working alongside some brilliantly trained and classical actors, is able to match them, but I feel if and when he’s given a leading role he loses a little bit of his strange presence. A lot of people question his ethnicity but from what I can find online he’s just brit, although with dark hair and olive features he’s been able to play a range of other ambiguous races in his films, but remainsone of those average white guy actors aka Your Guide to the Indistinguishable British Dudes as featured in Vulture https://www.vulture.com/2014/10/luke-evans-looks-like-orlando-bloom.html

Here are his top films in order..

04.Stratton (2017)

In this pint sized James Bond styled movie, Cooper plays John Stratton, a British SBS operative on some world saving mission. He plays the quiet type of saviour who likes to get his head down and be tough, and in an attempt to maybe make him more human he spends just as much time trying to get over the evil things he is forced to do to save Queen and Country. The film seemed to have been set up to be part of a franchise but it wasn’t accepted as well as expected, probably the fact that part of the highlight showdown was on a double decker bus!? 3/10 {REVIEW}

Spotlight : Willem Dafoe Vol. 1

The craggy faced gentle soul that is Willem Dafoe has graced our screens for decades. Usually playing a passive loveable character he is able to be an impressive creepy bad guy, either way he never fails to entertain. Please note that this list isn’t in an order of best to worse it’s just numbered for clarity.

06.The Hunter (2011)

Click for review

Martin

A balanced drama with an unwitting slice of fantasy science fiction. Willem stars as a hunter with a conscience that gets placed with the ultimate eco warrior family while he’s tasked to find the extinct Tasmanian Tiger. Bittersweet and warming, the film uncovers lots of dark secrets and see’s Martin (Dafoe) pushed to his limits both physically and mentally. His character is subtle; especially compared with the lippy Sass (Morgana Davies) who he has to partly care for with her Silent brother played by Dinn Woodlock. Sam Neill makes a shady appearance and the darkest character of them all is played by the stern Callan Mulvey as a rival hunter. Willem outshines them all in the simplest of ways. He really is a gem in this outstanding film. 9/10

Burton and Taylor (2013)

Director: Richard Laxton
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Dominic West .UK. 1h 30m

This glamorized TV movie is the love child of director Richard Laxton, who cleverly used a poignant part of life and relationship between Liz Taylor and Richard Burton to highlight their turbulent relationship and striking personalities.

Set in 1983, the film revolves around Burton and Taylor as they attempt to join forces to star in Noel Coward’s stage play “Private Lives”. After years of marriage, their own addictive personalities and the pressures from the press, they begin to lose their stubborn protective barriers and find some kind of path to recovery together.

Spotlight – Anthony Hopkins Vol 1

I’m not going to attempt to write an introduction on Anthony Hopkins here, the Welsh valley boy is one of the finest actors in Britain, adaptable and versatile, there isn’t a role that he can’t ace, however I find his creepier work to be he best, maybe it’s something to do with his history of alcoholism, even though he beat it in the 1970’s he seems to be able to channel the darker days into something powerful in his art. Here are 8 films that I adore from the legendary actor, no doubt there will be a volume 2 as he has such a sparkling list of great titles under his belt

01. Elephant Man (1980)

David Lynch’s black and white expose of the life of the Elephant man is probably one of Lynch’s relatively straight and non surreal psycho sexual escapades, rightfully all acting credits need to be bestowed on John Hurt for playing the part of the infamous Joseph Merrick and taking on his physical deformities of his suspected Proteus syndrome. Despite his blistering performance there’s one person who also shines through and that’s Anthony Hopkins who plays the Doctor who changed Merricks life. Hopkins really enforces the role of the visionary physician who’s able to look outside the box and take on a role of care for someone who, at the time, was seen as nothing more than a sideshow freak. It’s a robust performance as Hopkins goes from a gentle caring doctor, almost heartbroken about the former treatment of Merrick to a strong and dominant champion in the legal and medical battles to get care and board for the anomaly that Merrick was often seen as.

Spotlight – Eli Roth

Here are a handful of Eli Roth movies that I think are more notable, which movies would you choose?

05.Hostel (2005)

Director/ American Stoner

Roth managed to breath some life into the torture subgenre of horror with his breakthrough Hostel, the initial part of a trilogy which is best watched at a duo, the third installment is just terrible and so detached. The film follows three friends travelling around Europe who encounter a man (who likes to eat meat) on a train, he persuades them to check into a hostel in a secluded Slovakian village with the promise of encountering lots of hot lusty women. The guys scarper to the Hostel, only to find themselves drawn into a deadly game.

The films selling point is the buckets of guts and blood, with the attempt to make a nouveau video nasty Roth was content to add in as much material which was both questionable and a potential to get the film banned in a few countries, cut and uncut versions flew off the shelves as the wildly thrilling movie filed with real belly laughs and splattered kill scenes gained a lot of fan thumbs up.

Spotlight – Tony Todd

Best known for his role in the cult classic Candyman that is still inspiring new directors to this day, the inspiring story from Clive Barker was really brought to life by the the 6’ 5”  gentle giant, Toddy Todd who, while not leading as many films as any fan would like, when he does appear in a movie , not matter how short to long his role, really makes an impact in any film and continues to support a thriving horror community.

06. Murder Set Pieces (2004)

– Video Store Guy

Notable one of the more modern Video Nasty’s, Murder Set Pieces was a wildly banned horror. Directed by Nick Palumbo it features a deranged photographer (Sven Garrett) travels and documents his serial killer lifestyle. While he’s out slashing prostitutes and trying to bed underage girls he pops into an adult video store looking for a particular snuff movie named Nutbag (a reference to Palumno’s earlier movie) , Tony Todd happens to be the Clerk and the confrontation blows up in epic proportions! Tony is one of a few notable names however it’s generally slated for being disgusting, vile and disturbing, and this is why I love it so much!

Spotlight – Hugh Jackman

So I set myself challenge. List 5 awesome Huge Jackman movies and don’t mention any Marvel films..

01.Van Helsing (2004)

The framed monster hunter returns for some kind of gothic steampunk revival, looking and feeling much like another Underworld movie, the movie co stars Kate Beckinsale and features Richard Roxburgh as an unusual choice for Count Dracula but one that surprisingly works so well. Strangely the movie works on some levels. With comedy buffering each scare the movie was always aimed at being a family favourite and the cast get full marks for managing to keep a straight face through half of the ridiculous antics. Otherwise it is a fun and enjoyable adventure.

Spotlight : Scott Speedman

I’ve always found the British-Canadian actor to be one of those shy types, he doesn’t seem to have enough in him to play a strong lead but as a supporting actor he can really boost a movies vibe. Hopefully we’ll see more of him in the future but here are what I think are some of his stand out roles.

01.Underworld (2003)

It took me ages to bother watching Underworld because I knew exactly how it was going to play out before it had even been released and I was spot on. But basically vampires vs werewolves and to make things exciting we’re treated to a hybrid between the species and this precious mutant love interest is Michael (Scott Speedman). It’s an okay film, adored by lots of proto goths and pseudo kinksters. Speedmans performance isn’t blinding but he certainly does put a lot of energy into this role.

Sean Harris

Sean Harris has long been of those whose his presence in a film with encourage me to watch it, an unusual method actor, for me first burst onto the screen in the the aptly titled Creep (2004) when he played some kind of genetically modified subterranean creature and to be honest I thought they had possibly found some kind of missing link as he played the part so accurately, from then, all of his roles have been utterly perfect and once I see his name is in the cast list I’m sure to watch.

Possum (2018)

Possibly one of Sean’s most involved and highly praised roles happened so late his career, as Britain’s hidden secret weapons of acting seemed to have grabbed the headlines in this dismal world where he plays a very convincing; shamed children’s entertainer and puppet maker who returns home to his family home to be confronted by a sadistic and violent father. The movie is a giant slice of British melancholia everything is so drab and dreary, the house he lives in is run down peeling brown wallpaper is the theme, the world outside just an isolated mess and the constant haunting of his spider crab puppet with dolls face which changes and stalks him is nightmare inducing it’s a brilliant slice of dark natured cinema with some hints of art house pop place throughout especially a surreal connection with latex balloons. [REVIEW]

Blue Steel (1991)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Tom Sizemore . USA. 1h 42m

We always assume that the police force are highly attentive and can sniff out a bad guy a mile away but just like everyone they have moments where they are as vulnerable as you and I, and it’s during one of these moment of vulnerability which catches a rookie cop off guard and leads to a crime wave in New York City.

Jamie Lee stars as Megan, a rookie cop full of pride at her achievements and eager to be a great cop she finds herself suspended on her first day when she blows a low life criminal ( Sizemore) away in a convenient store when he holds the place up, with her high level of enthusiasm she doesn’t remember what happened to the gun she knew he was holding and is suspended for killing an unarmed man. Unbeknownst to New York’s finest the gun is now in the hands of Eugene Hunt (Silver) highly stressed commodities trader who’s slowly become unhinged and is now totally in love with Megan as sees her as a death goddess. Megan, after being taken to the cleaners by the powers that be, headed by Nick Mann (Brown), is soon reinstated when a body turns up with a bullet, with her name carved into it.