Killer Film Reviews - Tony BushIt’s Dirty Harry. It was a game-changer. And it’s great. That said, does it require a video review? Probably not, but what the hell.
Dirty Harry - Game ChangerKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2022-03-25 | It’s Dirty Harry. It was a game-changer. And it’s great. That said, does it require a video review? Probably not, but what the hell.
YouTube removed the original version. I got a strike and a warning on my record until January 2025. Re-offend once more and that’s me gone. So, I could either scrap the video altogether or heavily censor out the visuals that caused the problem – depictions of nudity and sexual activity (they were blurred or otherwise obscured, but it seems that wasn’t enough). I’ve uploaded this censored version. Either YT will accept it as fit for consumption or you won’t be hearing from me again. The original version will remain available on my Patreon thing.Trojan Horses - A Neo Protest SongKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-10-06 | 00:00 Vanilla Ver 04:55 Lyric Ver
It’s important to retain a sense of humour, right? Otherwise, the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
We had the most appalling and agonising long run of Tory mismanagement and misrule in this country. Omnishambles doesn’t come close. For all that time the opposition party routinely savaged them daily for their rampant sleaze and self-serving greed. And quite rightly so. Now, they’re gone. Labour is in power. And you can’t really spot the difference, put a pin between them. With the shortest of settling-in periods, they wasted no time plunging their own snouts in the trough with wild abandon and targeting the most vulnerable in society for a punishment beating. Splinter, eye, plank. Pot, kettle, black. And most worryingly, they don’t seem to perceive either the hypocrisy or the irony. I'm not sure how it can be excused, but I am sure that it shouldn't be.
Still, you gotta laugh, don’t you? Well don’t you gotta laugh?
00:00 Vanilla Ver 04:55 Lyric VerThe Ruling Class - Us And ThemKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-09-27 | The Ruling Class. Who and what are they? A bunch of swine is the simple answer. But surely there’s more to it than that? Um…no, don’t think so…
Patreon Early Access Link: The Ruling Class - patreon.com/posts/ruling-class-us-112201726?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkThe Haunting - Walks There AloneKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-09-08 | It was daunting The Haunting (ah, such poetry). Sometimes reviewing films that you hold in high esteem is a lot harder than wading through crap. With crap you almost instantly know and can express immediately why it’s bad. Genius requires more thought and effort to process because it operates on a different more elevated operational level altogether. I’ve done my best, I think, which is just about fine by me. You, on the other hand, may feel differently. Let us see.
Patreon Early Access: The Changeling - patreon.com/posts/changeling-ghost-111632974?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkPat Garrett and Billy The Kid - The Final DeconstructionKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-08-28 | When it comes to Peckinpah’s last real western, I’m conflicted. In one respect I’m in love with what it is, what it does and how it does it. In another, I’m frustrated by it – what is should have been, what it should have done and how it should have done it. We’ll never really see the film Peckinpah wanted to make the way he wanted to make it. That experience would only come to pass with Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia. So, I must be content with what we’ve got, and nowadays that’s better than what we had – thanks mainly to Roger Spotiswoode. I will explain in the review. A review I didn’t think I’d ever do, to be honest. Which just goes to show how clued-in and self-aware I am.
The Wicker Man was one of those films I resolved never to review and then changed my mind after seeing it again recently. And playing the soundtrack album a few times over in the dead of night. Funny how something can be both relaxing and disquieting at the same time.
Anyway, all I can tell you is I’ve given what was for me a near-impossible task my best shot and taken that shot as honestly as I could. Now let’s go.
PS: I wonder if they remade it again today, some organisation like Disney, would it be retitled The Woker Man? Just a thought.
Patreon Early Access Link: The Creeping Flesh - patreon.com/posts/creeping-flesh-109761682?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkThe Light At The Edge Of The World - Dead Mans ChestKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-08-07 | “Aargh, Jim lad! Shiver me testes! Your turn in the barrel tonight!” That’s enough Captain Hogwash. This is The Light At The Edge Of The World. Still shining, but dimly.The Big Sleep - Michael, Why...?Killer Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-08-03 | “Down these mean streets a man must go.” Something I learned in my formative years growing up in Brynmawr. It was the only way to get from place to place. Unavoidable. Unlike Michael Winner electing to remake The Big Sleep in 1978. Completely avoidable. What possessed him, then? I doubt even God knows. And if he doesn’t, what chance do I got?
Patreon Early Access Link: Coogan's Bluff - patreon.com/posts/coogans-bluff-108414350?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga - Not A ReviewKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-07-12 | This isn’t a review. Not really. More a brief series of observations. I couldn’t be bothered, didn’t have the energy to invest the time and effort. I so wanted to like and enjoy it. I mean there was a chance, right? George Miller, Mad Max - Fury Road was good, right? There WAS a chance and that’s what did it. It’s what I’m blaming anyway. In addition to myself. There’s always that constant factor. Dumb.The Sea Wolves - Charge Of The Last BrigadeKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-07-10 | Producer Euan Lloyd initially envisaged a Wild Geese reunion flick. With Burton and Harris not taking part for whatever reasons, he only partially succeeded. With a lot of returning cast and crew members, the same screenwriter, composer and director, how did it go? Well, like this…
Patreon Early Access Link: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - Not A Review patreon.com/posts/furiosa-mad-max-107790883?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkChinatown - Its ChinatownKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-06-29 | Chinatown was and remains a controversial and provocative work. Overshadowed in many ways by later events involving its director Roman Polanski that, to this day, have never reached a definitive conclusion. Looking back, and regarding Chinatown through the prism of those events and indeed other tragic events that preceded it, lends itself to a shift or revision in analysis of a film that has always been a multi-faceted treasure trove of political, social, cultural and artistic factors. All in all, it’s Chinatown.
Chapter Options:
Intro – Polanski: 00:12 Background: 03:04 The Story So Far (Spoilers): 03:56 The Rest Of The Story (Spoilers): 06:16 The Analysis (Spoilers): 10:10 Final Thoughts: 16:44 Outro: 18:21
Patreon Early Access: The Legend Of Hell House - patreon.com/posts/legend-of-hell-107102430?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkWholl Stop The Rain - No OneKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-06-29 | Suggested by Patreon Subscriber Craig, this key Seventies Vietnam picture from director Karel Reisz is another that was on my very long “reviews to do” list. Craig sort of bumped it. I much prefer it to the tentpole Nam flick releases of the seventies in part because it has much of relevance to say and a more concise and less bombastic way of saying it. It wasn’t a big hit, didn’t get any accolades and was quickly dismissed and forgotten. But not by me – or Craig, apparently.
God, I hate my birthday. But this month marks coincidentally the birthday of the channel. So I thought this year I'd subvert tradition and give the both channel and you valued viewers and subscribers something instead. Asking nothing in return of course, perish the thought. What could it possibly be, you may wonder? What has he gifted unto us? You will just have to watch the short video to find out. Hey, look, there's always a downside. That's life.The Taking Of Pelham 123 - Down In The SubwayKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-06-20 | After Charley Varrick and The Laughing Policeman, Walter Matthau achieved a golden hat-trick with The Taking Of Pelham 123. It was great. Here’s the review.
For Added atmosphere: Soft Cell's astonishing version of Jack Hammer's "Down In The Subway" with an amazing vocal performance from Marc Almond. This rocks: youtube.com/watch?v=HDZYtgxe0MY
Patreon Early Access: The Taking Of Pelham 123 - patreon.com/posts/taking-of-pelham-106265776?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkThe Laughing Policeman - Bust A GutKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-06-01 | In the early seventies Walter Matthau starred in three excellent contemporary drama/thrillers: Charley Varrick, The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3 and this, The Laughing Policeman. I reviewed Charley Varrick back in the early days of the channel and it’s only now I’m getting around to tackling another of the trio. Give it two more years or so and Pelham might be on the cards. Or could be sooner. Who can say? For the time being, though...
PS: The narration on this may sound a bit “off.” Well, more “off” than usual. Reason being I was trying to get to grips with a different microphone without taking the time to read the instructions or research the best settings and set-up. Hopefully, on the next one, I’ll have ironed out some of the issues. I’ll have tried, anyway. To some extent.
PPS: This was done some little while ago and was up on my Patreon channel a while back. This is an edited version of the original review, due to persistent copyright issues which I've only just managed to resolve. Better late than never, and I thought I'd better publish it right now while the going is good. Get it while you can, pilgrims.Edge Of Sanity - A Stranger CaseKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-05-20 | I got through this whole review without mentioning the Hitchcock film or the main character in that film. I suspect that when discussing Anthony Perkins that doesn’t happen often. And the urge to bring it up was strong, like after a fish supper from an Abergavenny chip shop. I resisted, though. Impressive or what?
Patreon Early Access Link: Year Of The Dragon - patreon.com/posts/year-of-dragon-104577311?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkDirty Weekend - Seaside Sauce And SavageryKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-05-10 | Although Michael Winner’s penultimate movie Dirty Weekend has achieved cult status over time there is no Blu Ray remaster. Considering that the uncut DVD version I’ve just watched to refresh my memory is a huge visual improvement over previous prints surely for people like me who want their mindless sleaze and trash to look halfway decent, someone somewhere needs to get on this. Or is Dirty Weekend just too awful a proposition to warrant attention. I don’t think so. But what do I know? Let’s see…
Dirty Weekend - patreon.com/posts/dirty-weekend-103444140?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkCity Of Industry - Brutalist ArchitectureKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-04-20 | It was on my list and then Tector Gorch brought it up recently. That’s not Ben Johnson’s character from The Wild Bunch visiting me in a dream or alcohol-fuelled hallucination, by the way, but someone who uses that name. I think. Anyway, as I was able to source the Blu Ray version by Kino Lorber I felt the time was right to take a swing at it. So, I did.Bloody New Year - Bloody Well RightKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-04-09 | Norman J. Warren’s last film. Not his best. Which isn’t saying much, some might theorise. Me, though…well…I’d been drinking. Makes a difference, I can tell you.
Once more unto the breach! The critics and the great unwashed didn’t have much time for The Executioner. But wouldn’t you just know, when it comes to yours truly, things are different round here.
00:00:12 Long Rambling Intro/Background Pt 1 00:04:43 Long Rambling Intro/Background Pt 2 00:07:34 Film Synopsis 00:15:15 Film Analysis 00:21:25 Conclusion 00:21:53 Outro 00:22:23 Long, droning, repetitive, wholly unconnected music video
I’m not sure what happened here. My initial intention was to make this short and succinct, to the point. Somewhere along the line, things ran away from me somehow, and it’s ended up being one of the longest videos I’ve yet uploaded. Hence the skip options above, for the benefit of those who want to click through it. Apart from being exhausting to do (because I decided to experiment with some things I probably should have left well alone) it took ages and is a bit of a rambler, jumping around like a coked-up frog on a pogo stick. I thought about doing an edited version, but to be frank couldn’t summon the energy. So, what you see is what you get, guys. Sorry and all.
Patreon Early Access: The Brides Of Dracula - And They Say Romance Is Dead... patreon.com/posts/brides-of-and-is-99507635?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkTrue Detective Season 4: Night Country - In ConclusionKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-27 | When I did the previous video reviewing this show, I’d seen the first four episodes. Patreon patron and long-time supporter of my channels, David, asked if I would be doing something to update when I’d seen the entire thing. Must confess, at first, I had no plans. But as it was David and he’s always been far more gracious towards me than I probably deserve (and he also had something of a point) I thought to do a concluding video. And that’s what I’ve done and here it is. And it's David's fault.Tarzans Greatest Adventure - A Little Less Monkey Business, A Little More ActionKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-24 | Wayne McAuliffe cited this as his favourite Tarzan movie in a comment. Coincidentally, it’s mine also. All I needed really. Don’t take much, does it?Killer Film Reviews - Coming Soon April 2024Killer Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-23 | The last, for the foreseeable future, of the scheduled uploads I’ve been working on. All future uploads will be random and unscheduled, so no telling what they will be or when they will materialise. All those featured in the “coming soon” videos thus far are sure things – or as sure as things can possibly be. I know what I’m going to be working on immediately next, but after that your guess is as good as mine.
Patreon Direct Link - The Outfit: patreon.com/posts/outfit-suits-you-99096514?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkThe Legacy - Where Theres A Will...Killer Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-19 | Legacy. It can mean what is left to you, or the lasting impact of past events or a person’s life. After reviewing this film, what I’m left with, the lasting impact of it, well, I don’t really know, Rita. Beforehand I told myself it probably wasn’t as bad as I remembered. And I was right. It wasn’t as bad. It was worse. As the late great philosophical genius Sir Edwin Banger (Ed to his friends) once said: “If life keeps giving you lemons…shoot yourself in the face.” He maybe had a point.Hell Drivers - Crazy TruckersKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-13 | Hell Drivers – a very distant ancestor of “The Flat and the Spurious” vehicular movie franchise of today. A preferable option as far as I’m concerned, because it’s good with some real movie stars in it. Start your engines. And, we’re off…
Another of my occasional diversions, to mix things up a bit. I’d just finished one of the longest video reviews I’ve ever done (which will be uploaded some time way off in the future) and felt the need to work on something more straightforward and, you know, basic, uncomplicated, I suppose. So, you’ve got this to contend with. Best of luck with it. (Well, in my defence, it wasn’t that easy to see and hear effectively on times and get everything present and correct. At one point I was laughing so hard it drowned out the TV sound and my glasses fell off).Sleuth - Mystery TheatreKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-07 | Right, I know someone recently requested this, but I always intended to do it. What stopped me is I couldn’t get my hands on a decent enough copy. My DVD version is a ropey transfer and there wasn’t or isn’t a UK or US Blu Ray iteration out there. That I can find. So, what I did this Christmas was treat myself to a copy of the French import Blu Ray from ebay, entitled Le Limier, which translates as The Bloodhound. What the f**k is that all about. The Spanish Blu Ray is called La Huella – The Footprint. F**k’s sake! Talk about lost in translation. Anyway, it has the original English-speaking soundtrack as an option and it’s a very decent version visually, very good in fact. So, with no more ado about nothing, here is Sleuth. Yeah, that’s what it’s called. SLEUTH!
Patreon Early Access Review: The Legacy - Where There's A Will... patreon.com/posts/legacy-where-98014634?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkComing Soon - March 2024Killer Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-02-01 | Still to come in February, reviews of Sleuth (1972) and Hell Drivers (1957). Next up, through March…well, watch the video.The Friends Of Eddie Coyle - Who Needs Enemies?Killer Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-01-27 | Peter Yates slow-burning and fatalistic Boston-set mob movie was a box office underachiever, which as the years have passed has shown itself to be a prescient little number way ahead of its time. You can amuse yourself by counting all the influential tropes that inspired the makers of some of the more financially successful crime flicks which came along later. Or, not, if you ain't as sad as me.
Patreon Direct Link: The Friends Of Eddie Coyle - Who Needs Enemies? patreon.com/posts/friends-of-eddie-96639488?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkFar Cry 6 - How To Take A Checkpoint When Youre The Worlds Worst Video Game PlayerKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-01-14 | I was writing some narration pointers and paragraphs for the next review to inflict on the world when an update for my Nvidia graphics card intruded. Clicking “later” on updates only causes me annoyance when they do in fact pop up again later, so I chose to download and install. Following this I realised for the first time – being a little slow on the uptake – that the Nvidia software comes with a screen video capture option. I quickly checked it out, got it working, then forgot about it and went back to what I was doing. Some hours later I’m puzzled as to where all my terrabytes of storage space were going. I’d been recording the screen in 4K all day. I turned off the screen capture and deleted the colossal video files it had created – the quality of which was admittedly great. Especially if you like watching someone typing gibberish into word for hours on end. Intrigued, I used it to make this short vid. A handy tool and one I’ll probably never use again. But it’s nice to have, I supposeComing Soon - Teaser TrailerKiller Film Reviews - Tony Bush2024-01-11 | A little heads up, a teaser trailer for what you can definitely expect to land on YouTube between now and the end of February 2024.