With the advent of the internet and social media, the relationship between audiences and filmmakers has somewhat changed. Those in the film industry can now find it easier to receive feedback from audiences. This can sometimes lead to filmmakers making big changes.

In 2019, the trailer for “Sonic The Hedgehog” was released and the response from audiences was so overwhelmingly negative, the studio was forced to change things. People had been so critical of the design of Sonic that the movie’s release was pushed back by several months. The filmmakers used this time to go back and change how the blue hedgehog looked. When the film was finally released, people were appreciative of how the studio had listened. It’s amazing to think that a film was changed so drastically before it was even released because of the audience’s demands.

Things were taken to a new level when a viral campaign to get Zack Snyder’s version of “Justice League” released finally succeeded. This was particularly impressive as a Snyder version did not exactly exist before fans started to demand it. Snyder has worked on “Justice League” but had to leave due to a family tragedy. Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) was brought in to finish the film. Significant changes were made to the plot with new scenes shot and a lot of Snyder’s material ditched. The movie was released in 2017 and got a mixed reception.

Fans were determined to see Zack Snyder’s original work brought to the screen. However, a lot of what Snyder did was unfinished. Many of his scenes were missing special effects. The studio eventually decided to give him the millions he needed to finish what he started and now “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” will finally be released in 2021.

This will change things going forward because now audiences know that if they ask enough, it is possible to force the hands of a studio and get them to release an original version of a film. Imagine if the next big blockbuster goes through a troubled production and lots of the original material fails to make the final cut, we could see fans bombarding message boards and social media sites. Audiences have a new power.

I’ve been disappointed by director David Fincher (“Alien 3”, “Se7en”) but “Panic Room” surprised me, it’s a competent thriller done in the style of “Phone Booth” with its use of small spaces to provide the tension. It’s far from flawless and like most thrillers, it has its unbelievable moments but it ultimately works.

In “Panic Room”, divorcee Meg Altman (Jodie Foster “Silence of the Lambs”) and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart “Twilight”), move into a big, fancy, new house. It has a sophisticated panic room filled with tv monitors and unbreakable (for intended purposes) walls. It’s a good thing too because the first night, three guys get into the house and they aren’t leaving until they get what they want.

Foster works alright here but she isn’t terrific; her performance here reminded me of “Flightplan” (they’re both tense parental roles). Kristen Stewart is forgettable as the kid. The bad guys range from really good to really bad. The best is easily the one played by Forest Whitaker (“Platoon”, “The Butler”) as he’s played superbly and the guy has depth while the worst has got to be the one portrayed by Jared Leto (“Lord Of War”), who feels the need to flail his arms about like he’s suffering from illness.

At times, I felt “Panic Room” was giving off a “Home Alone” vibe but it manages to keep the thrills and twists coming as the film continues. The last act has a total reversal of roles and it’s by far the most intriguing part of the film. Considering Fincher has directed several movies I really didn’t like, I was really impressed how this movie shows that he has the ability to direct a movie that isn’t utterly boring and unnecessarily violent. If you like claustrophobic thrillers then “Phone Booth” is better but that’s no harm in checking out “Panic Room” either.

My personal ranking of the worst superhero movies that I’ve seen to date.

5. Howard The Duck

Howard the Duck is arguably the most unlikeable protagonist ever found in a superhero movie. The weird flirting between a human woman and anthropomorphic duck is truly disturbing. Also, the lame plot and lousy special effects make this one that you’ll want to miss.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

Easily the worst of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movies. It doesn’t even feel like it was intended to be part of the series. Instead it feels like the Ninja Turtles were forcibly inserted into a random samurai flick. The costumes look absolutely pathetic this time around.

3. Æon Flux

Irredeemable sci-fi/action flick with ugly special effects and a plot I couldn’t have cared less about. The only thing memorable about “Æon Flux” is the weird title.

2. Barb Wire

“Barb Wire” is aggressively bad movie that serves as a loose remake of “Casablanca”. The movie starts with Pamela Anderson (“Scary Movie 3”) stripping so you know this film is aiming pretty low. Just go and watch “Casablanca” rather than sit through this horrifyingly stupid flick.

1. Batman: The Killing Joke

It’s truly painful to watch the Dark Knight sink this low. Armed with terrible animations, horrific writing and an awkward sex scene, this is an abominable movie from beginning to end. Batman is one of the greatest superheroes ever but this is him at his absolute worst.

Dishonourable mentions:
Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance and Catwoman

“Pandorum” was supposed to launch a franchise but it flopped at the box-office and received mainly negative reviews from critics. However, I think it’s actually a rather entertaining sci-fi/horror flick. It’s clearly inspired by “Event Horizon”, “Alien” and “Sunshine” so it certainly appealed to my personal tastes.

In “Pandorum”, two crew members of a spaceship (Dennis Quaid “Enemy Mine”, Ben Foster “3:10 To Yuma”) wake up from stasis with their colleagues missing and their minds muddled. They try to restore energy to the ship so that they can figure out what has happened and soon discover that a dangerous lifeform is aboard.

Ben Foster does a pretty reasonable job as Bower. Dennis Quaid is very good as Payton. The two quickly split up with Payton trying to guide Bower on his journey across a truly colossal starship. Both actors do a good job showing the psychological stress of being trapped onboard the starship. The creatures are rather disturbing to look at. I think maybe we see too much of them early on as I would have saved all the clear shots of them until nearer the end. You have to remember that films such as the original “Alien” were very good at keeping the monsters hidden and that makes the experience even more suspenseful.

Some of the ideas in “Pandorum” are terrific and I really love the way that the film is able to make the ship seem absolutely massive. It’s full of narrow shafts and dark corridors, which would make anybody feel claustrophobic. The ending of the film is clever but at the same time, it feels a little rushed. Everything just ends rather abruptly and that is a shame. If you like movies such as the ones I mentioned as well as other including “Leviathan” and “Red Planet” then you should make sure you check out “Pandorum”.

Clint Eastwood (“High Plains Drifter”, “Dirty Harry”) directs and stars in this masterpiece Western. Despite the fact Eastwood been involved a lot in this film, we actually see very little of him during the picture. It stands tall among Westerns and joins the best ones such as “The Shootist” and Eastwood’s other film “Unforgiven”.

Clint Eastwood stars as an unnamed preacher, called and credited simply as ‘Preacher’, in “Pale Rider”. He appears mysteriously to help a small mining community battle against a greedy mining company owner, named Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart “The Thing”). He fights effortlessly like no other man could and leaves just as mysteriously as he arrived. Was he just on his way into town by coincidence? Or was he a gift from the heavens?

Eastwood’s character is simply fascinating and he leaves a real impression despite having less screen-time than most of Eastwood’s screen personas. He deals with a bad guy, who apparently hurt him a long time ago, in a way that will remind viewers of something earlier in the film and that’s genius. I really like the Hull Barrett character, who actually has more screen-time than Eastwood, I think. I like the villains, especially the one played by Richard Kiel (“Moonraker”, “Happy Gilmore”).

“Pale Rider” is a magnificent Western as it features everything you could want in a Western; there are gunfights, it’s gritty and of course there is humorous side to it and it’s the brilliant type of humour found in a lot of Eastwood’s films. Westerns were dead by the 80s but Eastwood proves good ones could still be made with this absolute gem. When people talk about the best Westerns, it is rare for this one to come up but it really is a wonderful film that I urge any Western fan to see.

Films based on videogames have generally got a reputation for being pretty lousy yet Hollywood continues to churn them out. However, one franchise that has so far managed to avoid being turned into film is “Metal Gear Solid”. This is somewhat surprising when you actually look at the games.

“Metal Gear Solid” is known in the gaming industry as one of the most cinematic and innovative franchises ever. The series sees secret agent Solid Snake tasked with challenging missions to defend the world from a variety of memorable bad guys. The franchise jumps around the timeline and sometimes, you play as other characters such as Naked Snake, Raiden and Venom Snake. Lots of explosive actions, giant robots and political thriller elements help to make it something unique. The games are also known for their sometimes bizarre yet somehow genius design choices that help set them apart from countless other games on the market.

With a slick espionage premise, tons of exciting moments and memorable characters, it seems like a better candidate for adapting into a film than most videogames. It also owes a lot to cinema with creator Hideo Kojima being inspired by an array of movies including “Escape From New York” and the “James Bond” series.

It’s really a shock that there has not been a film yet but in some respects, it is understandable. The franchise is known for having one of the most convoluted plots in all of fiction. The games also have several hours’ worth of cutscenes in them. Trying to cram all of that into a single movie could be very challenging. You would maybe need multiple films just to cover a single game’s story. That presents a significant financial risk.

However, there are some reasons to be optimistic. The recent success of “Sonic The Hedgehog” shows that movies based on videogames don’t always have to fail. Also, who is to say that this has to be a Hollywood production or even a live-action one? I could easily imagine a Japanese anime movie based on “Metal Gear Solid” working as effectively.

“The Passion of the Christ” was a film that caused quite a stir upon its release in 2004. It made a fortune at the box-office but also gained some notoriety. Although many Christians praised it for its depiction of one of the key events in “The Bible”, others slammed it for its excessive violence and claimed that it was anti-Semitic.

The violence was such a problem for some audiences that Gibson even re-edited the film and released a version with several minutes’ worth of bloodshed cut. The anti-Semitism allegations were only made worse when an anti-Semitic outburst by Gibson was recorded while he was drunk.

Gibson has since worked on many other hit pictures including “Apocalypto” and “Hacksaw Ridge”. He’s certainly a talented filmmaker and apparently, he wants to make a sequel to arguably his most successful and most controversial film. Over the years, there have been various rumours as well as public comments from Gibson that claim a sequel is in the works.

I will be particularly amazed if the new movie (if and when it does finally come out) will be able to generate the same hype and controversy that the original did. While religious films always caused some controversy, films such as “Noah”, “Exodus: Gods And Kings” and “Mother!” only caused a fraction of the outrage that “Passion of the Christ” did.

The new film is obviously important to Gibson as he’s coming back to explore the life of Jesus more after all these years. It’s not like he just rushed a sequel out to get paid. This is something he has clearly put a lot of thought into. Gibson prides himself on his Christian faith and so does Jim Caviezel (“The Thin Red Line”), who played Jesus in “Passion of the Christ” and hopes to return for the new movie.

I was not really a fan of “Passion of the Christ” but I admired the effort that clearly went into it. The cast members spoke dead languages and the production values were terrific. I’m certainly intrigued to see what Gibson and Caviezel will do next.

Here is a list of my favourite slasher villains. Villains must be from a franchise and not a standalone movie.

5. Pinhead – Hellraiser

Although there are many horrific and weird sights in the “Hellraiser” franchise, Pinhead stands out as the most memorable. His great voice and iconic look always make it a treat to see him even though most of the “Hellraiser” movies are not so good.

4. Matt Cordell – Maniac Cop

Probably the most underrated slasher villain, Matt Cordell from “Maniac Cop” is great. He’s in a cop’s uniform so people mistakenly assume he’s somebody they can trust but then he kills them. He’s a killer that’s not talked about often enough so please check out “Maniac Cop”.

3. Ghostface – Scream

Unlike the other villains on this list, Ghostface is never the same person twice. This makes him mysterious because we always guessing who might be the new Ghostface (or Ghostfaces).

2. Michael Myers (‘The Shape’) – Halloween

Arguably the most iconic slasher villain, Michael Myers is still popular today with even more “Halloween” films set to be released. While many of the sequels, reboots and remakes have not been so great, the original “Halloween” is still a classic horror flick. Michael Myers was at his best when he was mysterious (something apparent when you then see the Rob Zombie remake films give us too much detail). Silent and always wearing that Captain Kirk mask, Michael Myers is brilliant.

1. Norman Bates – Psycho

Probably the most interesting slasher villain ever. Often overlooked as the slasher craze came in the 70s with “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Halloween”. Bates is played brilliantly by Anthony Perkins (“The Trial”). Also, Bates is intriguing because he’s not always clearly the villain (as you can see in “Psycho II” and “Psycho IV: The Beginning”) and this makes him more complex than perhaps any other slasher villain.

Honourable mentions:
Jigsaw – Saw and Pumpkinhead – Pumpkinhead

Here is a list of my favourite “Star Wars” characters.

5. Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker might initially seem a little bland but he embodies pretty much everything you associate with heroes. We initially see him as a young and somewhat naïve young man but with “Last Jedi”, we see he has grown into a slightly bitter old man. The sequel trilogy has helped make him more complex and interesting.

4. Darth Maul

Many of the best characters in fiction are mysterious and that is certainly true when it comes to Darth Maul. This formidable sith with the iconic double lightsaber was interesting precisely because we knew so little about him. Later films and tv shows have tried to give us more details about the character but that ruins some of what made him such a great part of “Phantom Menace”.

3. Max Rebo

Many people may not know him by name so I’ll just explain the Max Rebo is the blue elephant drummer from “Return of the Jedi”. I don’t know why but I’ve always had a soft spot for him. He looks goofy but loveable. I’m waiting for him to get his own spin-off movie.

2. Darth Vader

Arguably the most famous character from the entire franchise. Everybody knows who Darth Vader is. Voiced brilliantly by James Earl Jones (“The Lion King”), Darth Vader is one of the greatest bad guys ever. His best moment might actually come from his brief appearance in “Rogue One” where he slaughters a bunch of rebel soldiers.

1. Boba Fett

A fan favourite despite only having a minor role in the films. He actually made his debut in the abominable “Star Wars: The Holiday Special” but most people will remember him from “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”. He was later added into “A New Hope” with the Special Edition versions. This bounty hunter just looks so darn cool with his great armour and array of weapons. His death scene is one of the most memorable in cinema history.

Honourable mentions:
Emperor Palpatine, Yoda, Count Dooku, Nien Nunb and Wicket the Ewok

If you thought 3D was a new craze after films such as “Spy Kids 3D: Game Over”, “Piranha 3D” and every new blockbuster that seems to demand that you wear stupid glasses, you were wrong.

This is not a new thing. Back in the 80s we got films such as “Amityville 3D”, “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” and “Friday The 13th Part III”, all of which got released in 3D. However, the trend goes back further than the 80s, back in the 50s films such as “The Creature From The Black Lagoon”, “It Came From Outer Space”, “Robot Monster” and “House Of Wax” were all originally released in 3D. How magnificent would it have been to watch “The Creature From The Black Lagoon” in 3D back in the theatre in 50s?

This gimmick is unlikely to stay truly dead with it seeming to be brought back every now and then because there is a sucker born every minute and that sucker will look even more ridiculous in 3D glasses.