Don't Worry, Death Is Funny.

Yesterday I went to see Scott Pilgrim (for the third time) and also Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis' new film, Burke and Hare. Burke and Hare, for those of you who don't know, were a real pair of murderers from the 1800s. In fact, Hare has been referred to as 'one of the worst villains to ever draw breath.' But have no fear, this is a comedy. One of the darkest comedies for a while... You feel bad for laughing at it.

The movie follows the story of the two Irish immigrants in their attempt to get work and money in 19th century Scotland. Trying to make ends meet as con artists and through Hare's (Serkis) lodging house which he runs with his wife, Lucky (Jessica Hynes,) the pair discover stumble across a way to get rich quick. The two top medical science practices in the world need dead bodies (or cadavers, if you will) but Dr. Knox (Tom Wilkinson) can't get his hands on any due to a new by law saying that Dr. Monroe (Tim Curry) gets all of the recently executed. He becomes willing to pay a fair amount of money for any cadavers delivered to him. Cue Burke and Hare's new job. After one of Hare's lodgers passes away, the duo stumble across Knox's payments and after a very brief (and unsuccessful) attempt as grave robbers, they go into business as murderers. Hare: for enough money to live and set up a real business. Burke: for enough money to fund an all female production of Macbeth and impress Ginny (Isla Fisher.)

The duo looked sad. Turned out their business was dead.

The history isn't perfect but it's well covered by a brief message at the beginning, informing us that it is a true story... apart from the bits that aren't. It's been twisted a little to suit the comedy genre easier. What disappoints me is people's clear misinterpretation of the film's purpose. It is a comedy. It's not meant to be gory, despite focusing on two horrible criminals. It taking a light view on what is usually a grim subject. Don't expect blood and guts everywhere (though there are some, mostly in autopsy scenes.)

A fast pace and fun filled riot. Really. If you haven't laughed at death before, you will during this movie. Whether it's jamming men into barrels or unfortunate carriages, this movie makes death funny. How? A killer cast; that's how. With Pegg and Serkis as the foolish entrepreneurs, every death scene or attempted murder becomes ridiculously amusing, mainly down to the reactions of the pair. Also, prepare for lots of famous faces popping up for a small amount of time. Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse, Bill Bailey and more. Ronnie Corbett is also in for a 'small role.' (Gettit?) It's brilliantly funny. It's not just the front men or the cameos either. Tim Curry truly steals scenes as Dr. Monroe who finds feet fascinating and Jessica Hynes is absolutely brilliant and also contributes to the oddest, but also funniest, sex scenes I've ever seen.

Children Of Men 2: Andy Serkis is Simon Pegg's gynecologist

And it is brilliantly directed too. From chasing runaway barrels to shit-out-the-window gags, the comedy is perfectly timed. It's not just the comedy either. We can see that director John Landis can push the boundaries of genres. Despite all the comedy, Landis recognises the dark nature of the period and throws in a couple of moments to make you jump. In other technical areas there's nothing particularly special. The camera work is average and the score is generic. They don't add anything, which is a pity. But it's okay because it's bloody funny. (Another pun there. I'm on a roll!)

Certainly worth a watch. Not the best film I've seen recently but I would say (along with Scott Pilgrim) one of the funniest. Watch it.

Best bit? So many moments. But I'll say when a certain cameo reaches his demise in a carriage. I still laugh at the memory.

It's Satire... Fool.

Too many people take this film seriously. It's satire. One of the best forms of comedy. Because it's clever. It's a horror.. On the surface... But underneath that, at it's heart, it's a mockery of all old school slasher movies. I am talking, of course, about Scream. It's a pity that less people will watch it due to the unnecessary prejudice about horror movies. It's satire.. Fool. I have some good friends who are self proclaimed 'film nerds' and while that's a fair claim, they're unlikely to touch this movie with a barge pole.

It's a shame. It's a really good movie. It may sound familiar. High school girl, home alone, begins to get phone calls from an unknown caller who wants to play a game or the boyfriend tied up on the patio dies. Fairly average? It goes on. More high school murders linked to something that happened a year ago but the killer is too good for the police... Picking off teens one by one.. At parties, their houses or the school. Anywhere. But the difference is, while other slasher movies are bloody, this one is bloody funny. And make no mistake, it's just plain bloody too.

Drew loved singing Tom Jones down the phone to her boyfriend

It diverges from the rest of the genre by taking what is normal for the style and slanting it ever so slightly. There is no calm voice for the telephone threats, if hit, the killer won't somehow develop super strength and throw you back, he will fall down with a loud "OOF." On that note, the victims do fight back, often, and successfully... More or less. Apart from these aspects, the slasher genre rules are all there but in a post modern fashion. By this I mean the characters essentially discuss how to survive; the rules of survival in a horror movie. On numerous occasions, characters refer to their lives being 'like a horror movie.' One brilliant example of these post modern features is the party. Randy (Jamie Kennedy) discusses the rules of survival, "Never have sex" as clips of his two friends dancing the dance of love appear and "Don't say I'll be right back" just before Stu (Matthew Lillard) walks out uttering the phrase.

Performance wise, Drew Barrymore stands out in her short but crucial role to introduce the story but the true star is Matthew Lillard's grinning, comic and also scary Stu. Also worthy of notice are the real life and on screen couple, Courtney Cox and David Arquette, playing Gale Weathers, the bitchy news lady and Deputy Dewy, the love able police deputy.

Hearing Drew's singing made Matthew all bashful

In technical aspects it still manages to mock the genre. The peer-round-the-corner camera shot, the cheesy violin music... It all works with beautiful irony. And why? Director Wes Craven. Since he was one of the few directors that essentially invented the genre it seems fitting that he mocks it. And he has the ability to since he knows every aspect of the horror movie and can twist it successfully without making it look bad like other spoofs. (See Saturday The 14th)

It's a good movie. It's half horror, half comedy. If you expect it to be something, expect funny. If you expect horror, you're likely to be disappointed. I suggest watching it.


Best Bit? There's a lot. I mean a lot. I'm having trouble picking one. Just watch and see.

The Penultimate Destination (Maybe)

The last chapter in The Final Destination series... No wait... There's still a 5nal one coming. See I found that joke really funny but all you won't. I'm not sure why I bother.

So anyway; Final Destination, otherwise known as The Final Destination. When it was released it was 3D which I assume made the horrid special effects bearable. But I was not watching it in 3D.. My television doesn't do that. Every explosion looked wrong, every flying object looked fake.

An example of one of the less gory deaths.. Just so you know what to expect.

Despite this, my biggest problem was the way in which characters died. If you have not encountered any Final Destination film before, allow me to explain the plot.. Of every film. One teenager has a vision of their friends and themselves dying in a horrible accident and so they stop it happening. Afterwards the teenagers die in extremely odd ways, one by one, in the order they would've died in had they have died in the original accident. Just to give you an idea of how the franchise has spiralled down for this movie, here's a list of the original accidents: FD1: Plane crash, FD2: Car crash, FD3: Roller coaster crash, TFD (FD4): Nascar racers explode as they crash forcing the whole of the stadium to fall to pieces and crush the spectators. Yes.. That is how the movie starts.

The teens were practically lining up for their deaths

So we knew before the film started that there would be a lot of death. But in the previous films the death scenes have (kind of) made sense. Thinking back to all of the death scenes of this movie there's maybe two or 3 that make sense. out of 11. Even in the visions.. One girl gets a foot crushed in an escalator motor and then coughs up blood. Someone explain that biology to me. And have you ever seen a single ember set a whole pile of wood on fire in seconds? Or a doctor just leave an elderly patient in a harness while the bath is running and almost overflowing? Or a pile of sand, yes sand, catch fire.. in the sun? No. It doesn't happen. Admittedly it's unlikely that any of the deaths in previous films will happen... But the science makes more sense (even if it is ridiculous.) Plus there was no cool cliffhanger on this film. Sad stuff.

There is nothing special here in any of the technical departments either. If you like gore and you don't care whether the reason for it makes sense then this film will be a welcome treat. Otherwise you will end up yelling at the stupidity of the characters and the lack of science.

Best bit? The bit where someone dies.. I like that bit. But seriously the best bit is... is... hmmm...