We continue our week with some more decent material available, including some great sci-fi TV shows and some powerful dramas.
Lost Girl (TV) - A girl discovers she's a succubus descended from a world of fantastical creatures and uses her 'talent' to help humans in need of help. A offbeat mash-up of the Night Watch series and Buffy, the series isn't exactly hardcore fantasy horror but it's good fun to watch and has some pretty sharp dialogue. (All current three seasons are available).
Collision (TV) - Mini-series following the aftermath of a fatal crash and those involved as conspiracies and secrets begin to unravel in the investigation. Tense drama from Anthony Horowitz that's well written and acted, although the open-ended nature of the series is bound to confuse and annoy a lot of people.
Fringe (TV) - A secret theoretical science division of the government goes about trying to solve the mysteries surrounding paranormal and mysterious events unaware that a even greater threat is looming around them. It's essentially X-Files: The Next Generation but Fringe is a compelling bit of TV that benefits from some amazing showrunning (courtesy of the Lost guys), consistently thrilling and horrific cases, some incredible world building and one of the greatest mad scientists ever created. (The first four seasons are available).
All The Pretty Horses - Two cowboys find work on a Mexican ranch but when one of them falls in love with the ranch owners daughter, it begins to cause serious complications. Mediocre romantic drama that's worth watch for the actors involved and the way the material is handled, even if it hits every romance cliché in the book.
A Christmas Carol (2009) - Mo-cap retelling of the classic Dickens tale. It is no where near as exciting as it should be and it brings nothing new to the story but Carey gives his all playing most of the characters and it still ends up being a fun experience.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - A secret agenda behind the '69 moon landings prompts a race between the Autobots and the Decepticons to recover a crashed ship and culminates in a final showdown in Chicago. Say what you will about the series but if you enjoyed the first two you will enjoy this one, even if the first half is unbearably slow, the second half more than makes up for this with jaw-dropping action and amazing special effects.
Marnie - A career thief is coaxed away from her criminal ways by a suave shop owner but her commitment issues reveal a much darker and deeper psychological issue. It's not the best Hitchcock movie but it's still pretty damn good with both Connery and Hedren giving their best and enough trademark dark humour and suspense to keep you hooked until the very end.
On The Road - Adaptation of the famous beat generation bible that follows a fictionalised Jack Kerouac as his makes his way across America on a road of self discovery. It's a near impossible book to adapt from however the film does it's best and although the spirit of the beat generation is lost in the translation, the film has it's own unique style about it thanks to some excellent direction and great performances.
Hit & Run - A man disregards his witness protection identity to drive his girlfriend to LA for a once in a lifetime opportunity eagerly pursued by the police and his former gang. It's a dumb movie - but the good kind of dumb - and it's made with such free-spirited energy that you can't help but like it.
Amour - When his wife suddenly suffers a stroke an elederly man is there ready to care for her but as her mental and physical health spiral into decline, his complete devotion towards her begins to have a serious toll on his own well-being. An astounding tour-de-force emotional experience from Haneke, the film manages to conjure up a deep reaction from the viewer thanks to the exceptional performances from the two lead actors but also because of the humanity portrayed in the movie.
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