Recent films: a review

I'm not hugely into films, but my significant other is very keen. Over the Christmas break we've seen a few, so here's a little taster of what I've been watching, and whether or not I liked it.

Windchill (2007)

A simple ghost story, with an old fashioned format. My Mum recorded this and as soon as I realised it had been on Channel 5 I was a little wary. To be fair, it was interesting enough to have me hooked and there were a fair few jumpy moments. It's a massive cliche from start to finish: girl goes off with someone she barely knows on a road trip, the car gets run off the road, they are in the middle of nowhere, there are creepy figures around. It turns out all the ghost from that road haunt the place. It has a small twist at the end that I won't give away, which wasn't particularly satisfactory but for a film I wasn't expecting much from, it was watchable to say the least.

Slither (2006)

This is another old-fashioned horror. It's definitely a nod to the vintage horror films like The Blob, or The Bodysnatchers. It features a meteorite landing on earth and spreading aliens which start attacking people. If it hadn't starred Elizabeth Banks, I wouldn't have watched it, but she tends to only star in fairly decent films. This is a horror-comedy and goes to the extreme for laughs. I'm glad I saw it. Whether I'd recommend it... if you liked Shawn of the Dead, yes. If you didn't... probably not for you.

Catch me if you can (2002) 

I'm not Leonardo Dicaprio's greatest fan but I have to admit, this was pretty good. Based on a true story it follows a conman as he fools people into cashing cheques for him and blags his way into working as a doctor, a lawyer and a co-pilot. It was a little far-fetched at times but very clever and well made. I really enjoyed this film and I would recommend this if you haven't seen it. The dialogue is witty, Tom Hanks is flawless as ever, and the ending is satisfactory, if not, good. I'd love to watch a documentary about the person it was based on.

Have you seen any good films over the festive period?