The Walking Dead - pilot

After his devastating film version of Stephen King's story The Mist, I was keen to see Frank Darabont return to horror and this doesn't disappoint.

Based on a comic, this tells the story of cop Rick Grimes who after waking from a coma discovers the world has gone to shit and he can now see (decomposing) dead people.

This all sounds terrible but it's handled well, Frank creates a sombre tone and it's refreshing to get back to the shuffler zombie instead of energy drink runners.  They're more unsettling and sympathetic, a dead wife returns home pathetically trying to open the door and in a stand out scene Rick follows a still alive torso dragging itself through the park telling it he's "sorry this happened to you"


YES - not sure how this will develop as a television series but this can easily be watched as a stand alone.

Blackswan

 jeezus get some optrex for fucks sake

I don't consider Natalie Portman a good actor but she does seem to have integrity so I don't believe she would choose an "out there" role just to win an oscar like Halle Berry in Monsters Ball. This has received universal good reviews but it's actually pretty average as is Portmans performance.

Fragile Nina is chosen for the lead roll in swan lake however stress and paranoia take it's toll and she becomes increasing delusional.

It's all a bit heavy handed with over the top use of mirror imagery, feathers and shitty talking paintings which is a shame as these overshadow interesting flashes of a doppelganger and some difficult to watch obsessive skin peeling.

I'm sure real world ballerinas will loath the depiction of their world but fuck them this is catty, sleeping your way to the top, pony tail, shoulder shrug, baby jane lesbian cheese.


YES - but for way better pretty girl psycho action check out Repulsion or for a more horrifying self mutilator check out the Piano Teacher