Big Deal on Madonna Street, 1958, Director Mario Monicelli

An Italian crime comedy, which has a couple of sequels and two American remakes.

Cosimo a prisoner learns of a potential score from another inmate a thin wall between an abandoned apartment and a pawn shop. He gets boxer Peppe to gather his crew and pull of the heist…where absolutely nothing goes right.

For a film where a lot of the humour seems to be in the dialogue, a lot is lost due to poor quality subtitles. A shame.

6/10

All My Friends Hate Me, 2021, Director Andrew Gaynord

A British horror and dark comedy, which I watched due to a YouTuber’s recommendation

I would have probably missed this otherwise as it wasn’t on my radar at all

Pete heads to the country to spend his Birthday with some old University friends but becomes increasingly paranoid at their strange behaviour

Unsettling and builds tension masterfully, however I think a lot really hinges on whether or not you like the ending, which I didn’t.

6/10

Spirited, 2022, Director Sean Anders

A musical Christmas comedy starring Will Ferrell & Ryan Reynolds.

Ferrell is the ghost of Christmas past who chooses Reynolds a ruthless marketing executive to be the next subject to be Christmas Carol’ed. However it seems both have a lot to learn from each other.

The songs are fine, two stand above the rest but are still somewhat forgettable. The plot does play out somewhat predictably however it takes a few unexpected detours. A fun Xmas movie.

7/10

Bicentennial Man, 1999, Director Chris Columbus

A sci-fi staring Robin Williams as a robot who wants to be human based on the works of Issac Asimov & Robert Silverberg.

I remember watching this on home video as a kid, while I enjoyed it, was too long and not as funny as I hoped…this was my first time revisiting as an adult.

The film hit me emotionally multiple times, which I didn’t expect, and while my criticisms as a kid are still valid, it was a surprisingly enjoyable if flawed film

6/10

Bewitched, 2005, Director Nora Ephron

A strange meta remake/reboot of the 1964 sitcom about a man married to a witch, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrel.

Instead of being a straight up remake this movie sees Ferrel as film star looking to reboot Bewitched and hiring Kidman,an actual witch in the role of the witch wife.

It’s certainly an interesting concept but Ferrel and Kidman lack chemistry, and there is a general lack of any real direction, despite a couple of funny moments.

4/10

Beverly Hills Cop 3, 1994, Director John Landis

The third and until recently final instalment (a 4th film was released in 2024, but I’ve not seen it yet).

Sadly it’s the worst one so far, which is a shame because director John Landis has some great films under his belt. The film feels a lot more sanitised and safe, being mostly shot on a studio backlot. Murphy is likeable, but some corny jokes ruin the comedy and some bad effects ruin the action. The script feels underwhelming.

4/10

Beverly Hills Cop II, 1987, Director Tony Scott

Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley in this sequel.

Axel returns to Beverly Hills after one of the cops he worked with in the previous film is shot. He teams up with his old friends and begins investigating a series of heists

Doesn’t tread any new ground but does up the action, sadly at the expense of the charm and humour of the first. It lacks the energy and charm of the first film, and while there’s still lots to enjoy it feels phoned in.

5/10

Beverly Hills Cop, 1984, Director Martin Brest

Action comedy starring Eddie Murphy and a theme tune made famous by Crazy Frog 🤪

It became the highest grossing comedy of all time in 1984, and it’s easy to see why. Murphy has an energy and charisma that is nearly unmatched in this film, and there are some genuinely funny moments and decent action.

There are a couple of things that let it down, mainly certain aspects that are a product of its time, and the villain is really lacklustre.

7/10