Harold Ramis (“Caddyshack”, “Ghostbusters”) directs and makes a small appearance in this intriguing film about time travel. “Groundhog Day” has a lot of laughs, thought-provoking moments and even times of emotional involvement.

In “Groundhog Day”, Bill Murray (“Stripes”, “Ghostbusters”) stars as the self-indulgent weatherman Phil. On Groundhog Day (a real-life event) Phil goes to report on the groundhog, which is also named Phil and his prediction about what time spring will come. However Murray’s Phil finds himself living the same day over and over again. At first it’s fun as Phil can do whatever and there are no consequences. He sets it up so each time he gets better on a date and gets to see his new favourite movie endless times but after a while Phil goes a little crazy (wouldn’t you?) and tries to kill himself with little success. How can Phil escape?

Bill Murray is fantastic as the sarcastic weatherman Phil. He starts off as a real jerk but as the film goes on you sympathize with him and you see the goodness in him. Andie MacDowell (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”) is Phil’s producer Rita. Phil develops a crush on her and tries dozens of times to chat her up and despite getting further each time seems to screw-up still. She is alright I have to say but Murray’s performance is just completely blows away anything she does.

“Groundhog Day” is a grand movie for a few reasons: the performance by Bill Murray is great, the humour is very good, the premise is intriguing and it manages to utilize that premise to make itself even more intriguing and enjoyable. I think personally that this is better than the other Murray/Ramis pictures “Ghostbusters” so if you’ve seen that film and you think you enjoyed yourself, then why not check out this picture as well?

“Grindhouse” is an interesting experience that sets out to capture what it used to be like going to see a double-feature with two whole films that take place in the same town (there is a scene that ties them together), one directed by Robert Rodriguez (“Spy Kids”, “Desperado”), one by Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction”) and a bunch of fake trailers, product placement and messages from the cinematic management.

Planet Terror – 2 ½ stars

Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror” starts off the film and is easily the weakest part of the whole experience of “Grindhouse”. It is a mockery of zombie films but sadly not a very good one and that’s a shame considering some of the tools it is supplied with.

In “Planet Terror”, a small Texas community begins to be overtaken by hordes of zombies and now it is a fight for a survival. The problem is that the satire just isn’t strong enough and it ends up being a very conventional zombie film that wants to have a sense of humour and just can’t manage that, which is surprising when you look at some of the cast in this film.

Bruce Willis (“Die Hard”), Josh Brolin (“Men In Black III”) and Quentin Tarantino all appear and prove to be utterly useless, especially Tarantino as he plays a gross pervert in one of the strangest attempted-rape scenes I’ve ever seen; here he takes his obnoxious style of character too far. There is also another gross and poor character that enjoys collecting people testicles and storing them in a jar. The only character I liked was Sheriff Hague played amusingly by Michael Biehn. Rose McGowan from tv’s “Charmed” was okay as the lead character Cherry Darling, whose likeability is knocked up a level when her leg is replaced with a gun.

“Planet Terror” is explosive and delivers a few laughs but for the majority of the time it just feels like yet another zombie picture because it should have been more interesting and more hard-hitting in its joke making. I also didn’t care for the film’s unnecessary use of some gross image of testicular mutation. Rodriguez is a bizarre director who leaps from doing bad kiddie flicks to violent black comedies and this clearly being the latter also didn’t make the mark for me.

Death Proof – 4 ½ stars

Tarantino’s “Death Proof” is absolutely fantastic as really does feel like the kind of movie you would go in and see at a double-feature and as a result has a great organic vibe to it and is among Tarantino’s best work. It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s funny.

In this film, Kurt Russell (“Escape from New York”, “The Thing”) plays Stuntman Mike, who enjoys stalking women so he can kill them with his I quote “100% death proof” car but in order to receive the benefit of this you must be sitting in his seat. Lots of the film is just simply people talking and that’s done well but when the engines start roaring (towards the end at least) get ready for some of the best car chases you’ll ever seen.

Kurt Russell is fantastic and creepy as Stuntman Mike, who is a very intriguing villain. I do wish we had seen more of Stuntman Mike but then maybe it wouldn’t have felt so much like an old-fashioned film then. The women in it while I think they swear a little too much like all of Tarantino’s characters to be plausible they are also very good. Tarantino gets a much better part in this film that downplays his jerk feel.

“Death Proof” is a very fun film that despite not being perfect does capture the sense and feel of and older low-budget picture very well and the driving sequences are ridiculously enjoyable. Instead of a groan of cheesiness, the ending will leave you with the upmost respect for the film. What’s clever is how the characters discuss an older movie named “Vanishing Point” without instantly alienating it from feeling like a real low-budget, old-style picture. Tarantino understands film very well and he shows that equally well in “Death Proof”, which is arguably the highlight of “Grindhouse”.

Had it just been the two films it would have received a lower mark but the way the film is knitted together gets it a higher one. My favourite trailer was “Werewolf Women of the SS”, which features Nicolas Cage (“Ghost Rider”) as Fu Manchu (look him up) and I’m waiting for that to be turned into a full film as both “Machete” and “Hobo With A Shotgun” have. “Grindhouse” looks grainy and is old-school, it’s just a bit of a shame “Planet Terror” wasn’t more special.

Steven Spielberg; the man behind the killer shark film “Jaws”, brings us another classic movie in the form of a 1950s sci-fi B movie parody with Joe Dante (“Looney Tunes: Back in Action”) in the director’s seat.

“Gremlins” follows a wacky inventor (Hoyt Axton “Tropic Thunder”), who round Christmas purchases a strange creature called a mogwai for his son and is warned about the responsibility of keeping it. You see there’s three rules; don’t expose them to bright light and sunlight will kill them, don’t get them wet and no matter how much they beg and whine never, ever feed them after midnight. Unfortunately, after an accident Billy (Zach Galligan “Waxwork”) gets his new pet, which he calls Gizmo wet and then a band nasty versions of the cute Gizmo are born. They then get some food after midnight and then they turn into horrid creatures with a wicked sense of humour. The gremlins then terrorize the town so it’s up to Billy and Gizmo to stop them.

Billy is a great and likeable character and is played nicely by Zach Galligan. Billy’s dad is an eccentric character played straight by Hoyt Axton to add even more humour. The gremlins are fully fledged characters themselves and are portrayed as misfits with a cruel yet somehow amusing sense of humour. Gizmo is a cute and adorable little character.

“Gremlins” is a brilliantly mix of horror movie suspense genius and comedy. With references to the original “Body Snatchers” and even “Snow White” “Gremlins” is a very nicely done spoof that doesn’t feel like most spoofs (for examples “Spaceballs” and “Scary Movie”). From beginning to end “Gremlins” is a very funny movie with lots of great references to the golden age of so bad it’s good sci-fi movies. I do however warn parents that young children may seriously upset them. It has nothing to do with the amount of violence and it’s got nothing to do with their being any inappropriate jokes, which there aren’t, just it contains the revealing of something children mighty not know is fake.

“Gremlins” was a parody of 1950s sci-fi horror movies and now we get “Gremlins 2”, which is a spoof of a spoof.

“Gremlins 2” follows Billy (Zach Galligan “Gremlins”) and his girlfriend Kate (Phoebe Cates “Gremlins”). Billy stumbles upon his old friend the mogwai Gizmo at a massive skyscraper run by a millionaire named Daniel Clamp (John Glover “Batman & Robin”). After an accident Gizmo gets wet and his fellow mogwai are even nastier this time around. Once they get food after midnight and get wet, the gremlins completely take over the place and using chemicals, several turn into even more horrifying creatures including a spider-gremlin, a bat-gremlin and a “Phantom of the Opera”-gremlin.

Billy is a great character and he is played well by Zach Galligan. Kate is a little bland at points but she’s okay. Daniel Clamp is portrayed wonderfully by the charismatic John Glover, who makes the character so enjoyable to watch. The gremlins are even zanier this time around and Gizmo gets to take down some of the gremlins “Rambo” style. Why? Well I guess they pushed him too far. There are also lots of cameos including ones from Christopher Lee (“Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones”) and professional wrestler Hulk Hogan (“Rocky III”), which are all very funny.

From “Looney Tunes” segments to cameo appearances to film critics, this movie features just about everything as the gremlins wreck a skyscraper through various creative means. This movie pokes fun at the original’s reception in so many ways. All-round “Gremlins 2” is a very silly movie but that’s what I love about it, however that becomes its biggest flaw as the film just gets too ridiculous at times. From beginning to end “Gremlins 2” will have enough crazed antics, cameo appearances and darn right ridiculousness to keep you watching.

“Green Zone” is a pretty intense thriller about the controversial lack of WMDs in Iraq. The movie stars Matt Damon and definitely has hints of “Bourne” films although I think they’re a little more fun than this.

In “Green Zone”, Damon plays an American military man named Miller, who is tasked with finding WMDs in Iraq. He becomes frustrated when the intelligence leads him on a wild goose chase and finds corruption among some of the others his surrounded by. Miller goes on a mission to uncover the truth but unfortunately for him, he’s the incredible unstable, war-torn nation of Iraq.

Matt Damon is pretty good here as Miller. I preferred him as Jason Bourne and I think it’s quite hard not to make the comparison, considering the director (Paul Greengrass) directed some of the “Bourne” pictures. I think the other characters are alright but I think they’re given very little screen-time. There are various American officials and Iraqis that feel as if they needed more scenes as the film felt as if skimmed over a lot. An example is the Iraqi general played by Igal Naor (“Munich”), who just when it seems is about to offer something grand, stops being in the film (I won’t explain how).

“Green Zone” has some good action sequences, parts of it are very intense and I like how there’s an element of mystery involved; it’s not just a simple war film. I enjoyed it a lot more than “The Hurt Locker” because you can get behind the Miller character and the film is much better in terms of pacing.

“Green Street” is about football hooliganism but unlike “The Football Factory”, this movie takes itself seriously. It’s about the world of football firms and is designed to reach out to the American markets but sadly, they are unlikely to learn anything about football (or ‘soccer’ as they say).

A wrongfully expelled Harvard student (Elijah Wood “Sin City”, “Radio Flyer”) travels to London to meet up with his sister (Claire Forlani “The Medallion”). Shortly after arriving, he is introduced into the bloody culture of football hooliganism via West Ham’s firm. The danger is taken to the next level when the firm prepare to face the hooligans of Millwall.

Elijah Wood is okay as Matt but the actual character isn’t very believable. He claims never to have been in a fight but is able to knockout a seasoned brawler in the first scrap of the film. I also get that the character is being used to attract an American audience but I doubt many of them will really care about the subject matter. The hooligans in this film become a little tiring as they are nowhere near as endearing as the men of “The Football Factory” but maybe that’s the point. Charlie Hunnam (“Pacific Rim”) is the main hooligan but he becomes rather tedious. Claire Forlani is alright but her role never really requires her to do that much.

If you want a gritty and grim take on football firms then “Green Street” doesn’t do a bad job because the fights are done rather well. Also, there are some clever scenes here and there such as one where the West Ham gang outsmart some Manchester hooligans. I would warn people that some of the violence is quite graphic and one scene even involves somebody being stabbed in the neck with a beer bottle. If you don’t find movies about thugs particularly interesting, “Green Street” will do little to spark your enthusiasm.

I found “Green Room” to be a completely unwatchable horror thriller. It’s received solid reviews from critics and seems to have entertained general audiences but I found it almost unbearable. It’s as grimy, ugly movie that is as violent as the “Saw” or “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” movies. It’s about as interesting as staring at a blank wall.

A punk rock band struggling to get gigs reluctantly accept an offer to perform at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar. After they finish playing their music, they inadvertently become witnesses to a murder. The group now finds themselves being held captive by the white supremacists, who are armed with knives, guns and attack dogs. If the band want to escape, they will have to kill.

The characters in this movie are just dreadful. Most of the time, they are whispering or mumbling their lines. Anton Yelchin (“Terminator Salvation”) has the biggest role here and he is just terrible. Poor Patrick Stewart (“X-Men”, “Star Trek: Nemesis”) is dragged into this miserable mess as the leader of the skinheads. He’s such a talented actor but he gets nothing remotely interesting to do or say. The other characters are just awful. Most of them are just there to be stabbed, shot or have their throats ripped out by dogs.

The violence in this movie is very graphic so those with weak stomachs with definitely want to look elsewhere. I was reminded of “Red State”, “Kill List” and “The Purge” as I endured this film. It’s dark both thematically and visually so everything feels really depressing. It’s not particularly scary, it’s just thoroughly unpleasant. I still cannot quite believe that this film made many critics’ list of best films of 2015. It’s boring, it’s gratuitously violent and I just struggle to even tolerate movies like this. I’d rather watch somebody butter bread for an hour and half then sit through “Green Room” again.

After I saw “Thor”, which I have to say surprised me by surpassing my expectations I went into see “Green Lantern” with high hopes but my dreams were broken slightly by this mixed bag of great action scenes but an uneven script.

“Green Lantern” starts off with an explosive opening where Abin Sur fights the evil Parallax and that’s about the highlight of the film. After then we meet Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds “The Proposal”, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”). Hal is a test pilot and is used for a demonstration of robotic aircrafts. It isn’t too long before we see Hal get the Green Lantern ring from the dying Abin Sur and embark on a journey to Oa where he meets his fellow Green Lantern. They include Sinestro (Mark Strong) and Kilowog (Michael Clarke Duncan “The Green Mile”). Back on Earth Hal must battle Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) and Parallax in an exciting battle to save the universe.

Ryan Reynolds is appalling as Hal Jordan. He is not memorable in the slightest as he’s neither funny nor likeable. Blake Lively is Hal’s ex-girlfriend and to be fair she’s easily the best addition to the cast. Peter Sarsgaard is mediocre at best as Hector Hammond. He’s a weak character that offers very little; all-round a poor choice for a villain for the “Green Lantern” movie. Mark Strong is mediocre as Sinestro and Michael Clarke Duncan is unfortunately hindered by the poor dialog.

Despite my complaints “Green Lantern” is action packed and it sure has some wondrous special effects. It’s a real shame they couldn’t get their act together with the script. None of the characters have anything interesting to say and lots of the dialog feels ill-timed. If you’re looking for an action filled and generally mindless time than “Green Lantern” might suit you but if not turn to “Thor” or “The Dark Knight”.

“Green Book” is a slow but rather endearing film. It won awards but then attracted controversy. I went into it with mixed expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the witty script and the great characters that the movie offers.

Set in the early 1960s, “Green Book” presents us with Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen “Eastern Promises”, “The Road”), an Italian-American bouncer with a large appetite. When the club that he works at is closed for renovations, he struggles to find work and becomes the driver of African-American classical pianist Dr. Donald Shirley (Mahershala Ali “The Place Beyond The Pines”). Tony has to drive Shirley across the southern states for musical tour at a time when racial prejudice is still high.

I’m not normally a fan of Viggo Mortensen but I think he does a really good job as Tony Lip. I also like Mahershala Ali as Dr. Shirley. It’s interesting watching the two form an unlikely friendship because they are so different. They not only look different but there is a chasm between them in terms of intelligence and manners. There are other characters in the movie such as Dolores (Linda Cardellini “Scooby-Doo”), who is Tony’s wife, but the focus really is on the two men.

Parts of “Green Book” are very, very funny, parts of it are moving and almost all of it is interesting. It’s wonderful to see a movie that does not require flashy effects or a lot of kinetic energy to sustain your interest. I’m not quite sure if “Green Book” deserved all the awards it got but it certainly did not warrant the backlash it later received. I found the performances to be enjoyable and the dialog is splendid. If you want a drama with a lot of heart then I think that “Green Book” is a terrific choice.

“Gravity” is a movie that has received the highest possible praise from the general audience and critics but I saw the film and didn’t see the ground-breaking masterpiece everyone else seemed to. I think “Gravity” is boring and unoriginal as it tries to add a human story to what is merely a special effects extravaganza.

In this film, Sandra Bullock (“Speed”, “The Proposal”) and George Clooney (“The Descendants”, “Ocean’s Eleven”) star as two astronauts in outer space, who struggle to survive after debris damages their ship. The film should capture you but it just feels tacky as we know we’re just looking at special effect after special effect.

The two stars are trying here but the material is really poor. Bullock plays Ryan Stone, who has a traumatic past but the issue is that the dialog feels so weak that I felt more like laughing at her than crying and George Clooney gets less to do, which is a shame as he shows real potential. Together the duo don’t work because of the dialog, in a movie like this there needs to be good dialog supporting the images we see and I’m still waiting to hear it. “2001: A Space Odyssey” has far more convincing space sequences than this and that was made in 1968, this one came out in 2013.

Some of the logic here is just wrong as the character set their watches for ninety minutes for the load of debris to hit them again but the issue is that they keep moving so how that timing system works out is a total mystery to me and this is just one example of the film’s stupidity. “2001” was slow but made space chilling, exciting and a thing of beauty but here space is in your face and horrid. I liked the realistic crew in “Alien” better and I think several of the shots here were done better in “2001” and “Barbarella”. I know what you’re thinking; this is the reviewer that even gave movies like “Highlander II”, “Jackass: The Movie” and “Doom” higher ratings.