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USA: John Musker/Ron Clements, 1992

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USA: John Polson, 2005

(Watched with commentary by John Polson, Ari Schlossberg and Jeffrey Ford)

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USA: John Polson, 2005

Decent and engaging horror movie with a satisfying although not entirely unexpected twist. There's not a whole load of new material here - the disturbed kid storyline has been done before in The Sixth Sense, Godsend and the like - but director John Polson handles the tension well, and Dakota Fanning is positively creepy as the aforementioned disturbed kid. Definitely a "watch once" affair, this is worth a rental.

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USA: John Musker/Ron Clements, 1997

The coolest thing about Disney's Hercules is its breakneck pace and the character designs, created in an attempt to mimic the style of English cartoonist Gerald Scarfe (who was also the film's production designer). There is a lot more stylistic variation than in most recent Disney films, and yet it all seems to fit. The look of Hell (called "The Underworld" here) is suitably creepy, and the casting of James Woods as the voice of Hades is inspired. However, much of the plot is a retread of any number of Disney's "be who you want to be" stories, with Hercules himself seeming like little more than a more muscular and more annoying Aladdin. The use of Gospel music for a film set in ancient Greece was an odd choice, and Alan Menken's music and songs lack their customary pizzazz.

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USA: Hamilton Luske/Clyde Geronimi/Wilfred Jackson, 1953

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USA: David S. Goyer, 2004

Nothing like as bad as I was expecting - in fact, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Wesley Snipes and the guy playing Dracula (Dominic Purcell) are awful, and the script isn't up to snuff either. Also, the gratuitous Apple/iPod product placement gets old fast. However, it's very entertaining and even pretty funny in places. This movie definitely belongs to Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds and Parker Posey, who make up for Snipes' complete lack of commitment. Overall I enjoyed this a bit more than Blade II and about as much as the original Blade. If you've been avoiding this because of the bad press, check it out and give it a chance - you might enjoy it.

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Original title: La Coda dello Scorpione
Italy: Sergio Martino, 1971

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USA: Christopher Nolan, 2002

Pretty good remake of the Norwegian thriller by Erik Skjoldbjærg. It owes a great deal to The Silence of the Lambs and in many places feels unforgivably mundane, but the various chase sequences are handled well, and Wally Pfister's cold, moody photography is a great asset. Robin Williams is a little distracting here as the killer, given that he is too recognizable a face and doesn't fare well in his more menacing moments. However, Al Pacino and Hilary Swank do pretty well as the two detectives trying to apprehend him.

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Original title: Lo Strano Vizio della Signora Wardh
Italy: Sergio Martino, 1971

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USA: Michel Gondry, 2004

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