Film Review: Unholy

Peter comforts his wife Margaret Eastwood as they retell their haunting tale

Months if not years have passed since I last fastened the curtains, turned off all the lights, and settled down to watch a horror film in the environment it’s intended for.

That opportunity came last Friday when I was given exclusive access to Mr Stitch’s latest full-length production, Unholy.

WATCH: Mr Stitch explains how to make a movie in 12 steps

Set in 1975 suburbia, newlyweds Peter and Margaret Eastwood lay down the groundworks to spend the rest of their lives together when they buy their first house.

But this is no fairy tale, no idyllic retelling of an undisturbed family life but a mounting tension between Margaret, Peter and the demons that haunt the property on 39 Ashcroft Road.

What starts with noisy echoes from water pipes slowly manifests into more threatening movements, chilling sounds and apparitions as the audience are forced out of their comfort zone. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, it’s just the pipes,” Peter tells his panicked wife.

Creaks, bumps in the night and an unsettling visit from a frail old lady turn into huge bulking shadows lingering in the corridor, apparitions of dead children and violent acts that culminate in a brilliant conclusion that pushes the film’s budget to its limit.

Is anybody there…

Unholy was filmed on a £600 budget and was never going to live up to the smooth big-budgeted Hollywood productions.

At the same time this constraint forces the team to be more creative, which combined with a great attention to detail, meant the film was an enthralling watch.

You don’t need big bursting budgets to send shivers down your spine, a bit of imagination and a lot of hard work can go a long way.

Some of the acting was stiff, as you would expect for a film with such a budget but there were surprisingly convincing performances from the female lead Kelly Goudie and Carn Truscott, who had a bit part role in the second part of the film.

The sound effects were on point. Deathly silence left the audience’s mind racing around trying to predict the next steps and an array of suitably eerie background music edged out the tension.

Lingering shadows were chilling to spot and attentive camera shots of footsteps over faces brought an intimacy that emphasised their vulnerability.

Director Anthony Winson had revealed to picking the film’s setting because the house had kept many of the features from the 1970s but there was a great level of extra detail from a dated copy of Woman’s Weekly, to a rotary dial telephone, a cassette player, an old car and retro clothing.

Unholy was a gripping watch with many chilling moments but above all else, it made me physically jump out of my skin, and any horror film that achieves that is worth its weight in gold.

A must watch for fans of haunted house films, independent films and those that love those palm-sweating, heart-pounding moments of dread.

7/10

Cinema Releases July 2015

He keeps telling us and in Genisys, the Terminator is back once more.

Summer cinema is upon us this July as audiences are reunited with two thunder buddies in Ted 2, head back in time to secure victory against the machines in Terminator Genisys and see Paul Rudd transform into an ant-sized superhero in Marvel’s latest release. Below are four of the best releases to get down to the cinema for this next month.

True Story – 24^th July

James Franco and Jonah Hill take a break from their comedic performances in a straight-faced drama about the relationship between a fallen journalist (Hill) and a man accused of murdering his own family (Franco), who has attempted to take the former’s identity. ‘Based on actual events’ the developing bond between the two appears to be a desperate man’s last act to unveil the truths of his crime but at the same time there is a suggestion that it is far more sinister, that Franco’s character is manipulating the journalist for his own gains, whatever reason that may be, all of which is revealed as the True Story is uncovered. From what information is readily available, the film has many mysterious qualities and provokes a series of questions, as all good thrillers do. A sign of something promising.

Inside Out – 24^th July

Personally speaking, this is easily the most anticipated film release of the month. Made by Pixar, the animation film’s premises centres on five personified emotions that occupy the mind of eleven-year-old Riley, a little girl who is struggling to adapt to new surroundings. The emotions: Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear and Sadness control Riley’s subconscious and try to steer her around her life’s obstacles. The trailer is a must-see and features an almost unedited scene which captures the sense of fun, humour and imagination that Pixar have once more masterfully developed, all of which feels like a genuine reflection of the film because they have not cherry-picked the film’s best bits.

Southpaw – 24^th July

A climatic tale of a successful boxer who battles to repair his life after descending into a state of despair following the death of his wife and the removal of his daughter from his care. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the main character, Billy Hope. with a support cast that features Rachel Adams, Forest Whitaker, Naomie Harris, 50 Cent and Rita Ora. There isn’t anything particularly novel here but the film looks like an intense and powerful journey of a family man’s determination to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – 30^th July

Offering something altogether different, Ethan Hunt and crew return once more in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. This time around the IMF (The Impossible Missions Force, not the International Monetary Fund) are forced to disband even as they face their greatest threat yet, a rogue organisation referred to as the Syndicate.  In what could be his last outing as Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise is supported by returning trio Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg with Alec Baldwin joining a cast which is led by Edge of Tomorrow and Jack Reacher director, Christopher McQuarrie, who is once more united with Cruise. Expect grander action scenes, bigger stakes and inconceivable gadgets with the same sprinkling of light humour in what is always a welcome return to America’s own secret agent franchise.

United Passions unites critics

After its release to American audiences, the film United Passions has been capturing the attention of film buffs and football fans for its pitiful opening weekend takings of $607 (£397), which, if you’re lucky enough, is enough money for 6 tickets to the final of Euro 2016. The film tells the story of FIFA, from its origins to the current day, is largely financed by FIFA and, funnily enough, paints a glowing picture of three of FIFA’s leading figures, Sepp Blatter included. As the film currently has no UK release date, it seemed the next best thing was to roam the internet to capture the opinion of the elusive few who have managed to watch it.

Amidst the corruption case which is currently engulfing the organisation, the Independent’s Tim Walker notes that the film’s release has “excellent comic timing – if only in its release date.” Walker refers to United Passions as a “preposterous, sports administration-based melodrama”. Sports administration. Hardly the greatest starting point for a £17,000,000 film.

Jordan Hoffman of the Guardian continues to address the film in a similar manner. In a film where Blatter is the hero and the English are villains, Hoffman compares United Passion to “Stalinist propaganda”, noting that a film of this ilk would be more appropriate for the religious cult of Scientology, than FIFA. Hoffman also picks up the film’s story, stating that the film has “absolutely no dramatic arm” and instead “lumbers along”.

Finally, Paul Field of the Mirror labels this “disaster movie” “a self-indulgent mess”, and notes that it is “impossible not to snort with laughter.”

In the interest of fairness, the two most positive reviews were found on IMDB. Users christophe-35-310494 and fabiennelobert, both from France, gave the film rave reviews, with a 10/10 and 9/10 scoring, respectively. The former notes that the film is a “classic but such a good movie” with great anecdotes and cast, a “Must see!” The latter notes that the film is “not especially for the football’s fans” noting that the film has wonderful music and beautiful pictures and gives a good account of FIFA’s history. Perhaps suspect, perhaps reflective of the spontaneous nature of arm-chair critics, both accounts joined IMDB around the release of United Passions in France and neither have since contributed anything.

Certainly the critics’ reviews do not reflect well on the film but, aside from all the controversy surrounding FIFA and the film, there was perhaps another factor holding it back from the off. Over the course of his 16 year career, Frédéric Auburtin has mainly directed comedy films. In fact 78% of the pieces he has directed have been tailored to grab a laugh rather than eek out tension and drama. Perhaps more money should have been shelled out on a more suitable crew than a cast which includes actors Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Peaky Blinders).

On IMDB the film currently holds a 2.1/10 rating from users and a 1/10 rating from critics. Not having seen the film, I cannot know for certain, but surely United Passions has been punished because of the profound international influence of the film’s claims and the current turmoil experienced at FIFA. Surely a film with the budget it wielded, the name’s it cast and the magnitude of the issues it explores, could not have got it so disastrously wrong to garner such a critical reception, or could it? Perhaps Paul Field was right when he said “it simply has to be seen to be believed.”

 

December Film Releases 2014

Black Sea

Release Date: 5^th December

A shady group of men are tasked with finding the sunken remains of a gold laden Nazi U-boat in this submarine drama. Each member is promised an unimaginable sum of money on the mission’s success but tensions rise when some slowly start to realise that the fewer number of men that make it out alive, the larger sums of money they will acquire from the deep sea venture.

Men, Women and Children

Release Date:

The trailer for Men, Women and Children promises to deliver an interesting drama centered on the relationships between parents, children and technology. One parent, the overbearing oppressive Mother, controls her daughter’s digital life with expectant consequences whilst another Mother-daughter relationship sees a parent’s lack of protection lead to her daughter being vulnerably plastered over the internet through her teenage modelling. The stories are reflections of real life issues and have a strong message but it’s clear from unfavourable reviews that the story doesn’t stretch any farther that its single dimensional approach. Expect no surprises.

Penguins of Madagascar

Release Date: 5^th December

After stealing the show in the Madagascar franchise with their jokes and silly antics the loveable Penguins have finally gone solo.

The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies

Release Date: 12^th December

The first brought forth a story and begun to introduce the 14 characters and epic journey across a 3 hour period. Promise was not high, characters were introduced but not established and the story arch mirrored that of the Fellowship of the Ring. The second, brought forth adventure, passion and established Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. The concluding instalment, the Battle of the Five Armies, riding on the wave of promise and expectation has a monumental job to successfully wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable yet prolonged story. Can it be achieved? I hope so.

 

November Film Releases 2014

On the cusp of a festive avalanche, November sees the year’s first Christmas film release in what is expected to be the final part of the Nativity trilogy in Dude, where’s my donkey?

Interstellar

Release Date: 7^th November

Bwaaaaaaaaarrrrrm, Christopher Nolan, bwaaaaaaaarm, the man who brought us the Dark Knight trilogy, bwaaaaaaaaarrrrrrm, returns with an epic space adventure in Interstellar. The human race, on the brink of extinction, deploys a group of select human beings on a voyage across the realm of space to discover a home for the human race. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley and others spearhead an all-star film that is expected to contend with the year’s very best. As always, Nolan’s Interstellar has a first-rate soundtrack to accompany it too. Big expectations will undoubtedly chase a film with big ideas, big names and a big budget.

The Imitation Game

Release Date: 14^th November

Mathematician, computer scientist, long distance runner, cryptanalyst and homosexual Alan Turning, who famously broke the Enigma code, is the focus of Norwegian director Morten Tyldum’s film, The Imitation Game. The Historical thriller centres on an event that has been lauded as the single greatest contribution to Allied victory against Nazi Germany but it is difficult to envisage a film based on such a complex and specialised process to be packed full of nail-biting drama. Benedict Cumberbatch is undoubtedly one of the film’s biggest attractions and it is hoped a sublime can rocket the film out of the trivial and into the phenomenal.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One

Release Date: 21^st November

In the penultimate episode of the series, reluctant hero Katniss Everdeen leads the rebellion after shattering the games forever. Those following the series, myself included, will look forward to the next twists and turns in a surprisingly enjoyable series but there will no doubt be those in the wings ready to throw undeserved criticism at the teenage-orientated film. Mockingjay Part One has been viewed by many as the most anticipated release of the year and will attract the masses.

The Homesman

Release Date: 21st November

The Homesman centres on pioneering Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) who saves a man’s (Tommy Lee Jones, who also writes and directs) life in exchange for his services; to guide three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa. Films set in this period largely blur into another other due to their similar narratives that follow the same conventions and, although the Homesman touches on some of these, its strong female lead, undercurrent of humour and unusual scenario stand The Homesman out from the crowd and give it a real shout at offering something new. Nevetheless, The Homesman is not one of the month’s front runners.

 

 

 

 

Is Interstellar out yet!? =(

August Film Releases 2014

A real treat of a month. For those looking for easy-going entertainment there’s the second Inbetweeners film, the Expendables 3 and Lets Be Cops to look forward to. Whilst those looking for something to stretch the imagination there’s also a cracking selection to go alongside. August may have a fine showing of films but beware of cinemas overflowing with rugrats.

The Expendables 3

Release Date: 14^th August

They’re getting increasingly ridiculous with nonsensical plots, explosive action scenes and a colossus cast but the more ridiculous the Expendable films get, the more they appeal. A normal film preview would at least mention a plot but it doesn’t matter with the Expendables, nobody turns up expecting a mind-boggling story; it’s the big names and the big action scenes people come to watch. New additions to the all-star action hero cast include: Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford on top of the usual dosage of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger. You wonder what will break first; the film’s mega budget or the actor’s ability to walk before this seemingly unstoppable series of films pack in.

The Congress

Release Date: 15^th August

An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job: having her entire being scanned: body, face, emotions, laughter and tears, to save her son’s sight though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn’t consider. The Congress isn’t a feel good film and doesn’t appeal to any primal senses of sex, violence or action. Expect a profound film that jumps between realities and stretches the mind as the drama unravels.

Hector and the Search for Happiness

Release Date: 15^th August

From extreme to the other; Hector and the Search for Happiness sees Simon Pegg return in his latest comedy venture, a genuine feel good film. As indicative from the title, the film follows a psychiatrist who travels around the world experiencing and researching what makes people happy and resultantly looks set to act as a gentle reminder to watchers to search for happiness in their day-to-day doom and gloom of monotonous life. Hector and the Search for Happiness looks extremely promising, even with director Peter Chelsom on board; who previous directed the Hannah Montana Movie. It’s hoped that the film’s packed with enough content, enough drama to fill the two-hour duration. A must watch for Simon Pegg fans out who can expect several more Pegg outings before the year’s out.

The Rover

Release Date: 15^th August

Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson front a promising post-apocalyptic tale. 10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures one of the thieves’ brother, and the duo form an uneasy bond during the dangerous journey. Supposedly very gritty, violent and very non-Hollywood with some very mixed reviews to go along with its US release.

Lucy

Release Date: 22^nd August

Main character Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), is caught up in a shady drug deal and implanted with drugs. After encountering abuse, the drugs accidently spill into her system causing her to become a “merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic”. Based on an alleged premise that most human beings only use 10% of their brains capacity, Lucy attempts to stretch the imagination and provoke thought but appears to do so unsuccessfully. Also stars Morgan Freeman.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

Release Date: 25^th August

Admittedly this writer hasn’t seen the original but with the actors associated with the original and this new release, the neo-noir and nonconformist nature it certainly catches the eye.

Film Review: Pain & Gain

 

Earlier this month Michael Bay and Mark Wahlberg teamed up for the second time in Transformers: Age of Extinction following their first association in the comedy, crime action film Pain & Gain.

Based on a true story, Pain & Gain follow three bodybuilders who were involved in the most ludicrous case of kidnap, torture and blackmail. Searching for their piece of the pie, for money, acknowledgement and greater respect, the three pursue and indulge in the American Dream before reality catches up with them and they find themselves falling to ever deeper immorality.

It’s interesting to note the tone of the film’s synopses, the darker elements of the plot and the fact it’s based on a true story don’t comfortably connect to a film labelled a “comedy” and it’s that discomfort that runs straight the way through Pain & Gain.

Michael Bay is known for his lengthy films and with Pain & Gain he pushes the boundary to an unnecessary two hours and ten minutes.  The core elements to the film would have made a fine action film and potentially a decent crime comedy but a mixture of needless and repetitive scenes serve to only pad a film out that struggled to make any tangible progress.

Additionally, the mediocre comedy made Pain & Gain something to endure rather than enjoy. The comedy was so ridiculously packaged, so nonsensical it was like the production company gave a million pounds to a teenage boy. There were moments of great comedy, including a joke about hospital floor line navigation system taking you hours to find somewhere, but these were drowned in midget gags, gay jokes and mockery of religion. Throughout it was difficult to understand whether Pain & Gain was intentionally trying to be absurd or not as it combined the dark elements of the crime to the farcical characters; almost as if someone had combined Superbad with Scarface.

Understandably it is a Michael Bay film and it appeals to the lowest common denominator but surely for a film so long, it’s not asking too much to do a little more.

Much like the American Dream, Pain & Gain was awash with elements of myth, of extremities and hysteria. Tits and testosterone provided the films greatest stimulus’ with some good action scenes to accompany but in the end it was all pain and little gain.

4/10

July Film Releases 2014

It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. The long-awaited release of the year. The film that is set to define a generation and fly the British flag across the globe. Pudsey The Dog: The Movie is here.

 

On a serious note if you’re a fan of films that fall into The Harry Hill Movie and Keith Lemon: The Film category you’ll be in your element. For all else, here’s the cream of the crop for July, some big and some not so big releases that are sure to capture the imagination.

Love Eternal

Release Date: 4th July

“Why are you so happy?” asks a man stripped of all enthusiasm for life.  Love Eternal is not your standard cliché ridden romance but something quite the opposite. Instead of being in love with life and the people in it, defective human being and main character Ian Harding is in love with death and the bodies it engulfs. It is a film entrenched in murky waters, with no ray of light ahead. Be prepared for a gloomy yet intensive watch.

Transformers: Age Of Extinction

Release Date: 10th July

A cruel critic might see Age of Extinction as Mark Wahlberg playing Mark Wahlberg in Michael Bay’s fourth robot film and although the storyline of humans ostracising Transformers is a tad unoriginal; with echoes of Spiderman 2, X-Men and The Dark Knight, Bay is sure to deliver another instalment packed full of action, special effects and big explosions, a guilty pleasure of sort. One fault with Dark of the Moon is that it overstayed its welcome and unfortunately, following the pattern of increasingly long Transformers films, Age of Extinction tops all other instalments at two hours forty-six.

Bastards

Release Date: 11th July

Known as Les Salauds to French audiences, Bastards is a film embroiled in sex, violence and drama; a revenge thriller that is all the more intense with the veil of a foreign language. The trailer plants a seed of intrigue but leaves the film, its plot and characters surrounded in mystery, introducing main character Marco (the French equivalent of Mel Gibson) and his tragic circumstances. The tantalising soundtrack alone provided enough to make it onto the July watch list.

Boyhood

Release Date: 11th July

A standalone in the depths of film making, director Richard Linklater’s latest project has been filmed across a twelve-year period, with the same cast, and mashed together to create a time-lapse. It centres on a young seven-year old boy as he battles his way through school and tugs on the emotional heartstrings as you see the boy literally grow into a man over two and a half hours.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Release Date: 17th July

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a corker of the film that rejuvenated the Planet of the Apes franchise after a below par 2001 reboot. Cesar returns in this sequel, leading genetically advanced apes against a group of human survivors as the two get ever closer to the brink of war.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Release Date: 31st July

Exciting, humorous and refreshing. In a pool of superhero films Guardians of the Galaxy stands out as something unique and with the team that brought previous Marvel films on board and starring Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Lee Pace, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro and John Reilly there’s every hope it’ll live up to expectation.

 

June Film Releases 2014

In the midst of a “British” summer June doesn’t have many big name blockbuster offerings to tempt the masses to escape from the precarious weather. They may be lacking the big budgets and big names, but June’s selection of film releases aren’t to be snubbed with a variety of films bursting with character.

22 Jump Street

Release Date: 6th June

Sequels, bloody sequels. 21 Jump Street was an enjoyable buddy comedy about two undercover cops in high school and that was where it should have ended. Sequels should add a new dimension to the original film but all too often they’re ramshackle remodels produced to purely extract as much monetary value from the film as possible. 22 Jump Street follows almost the exact same premise as the original but instead of high school, this time the duo, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, are going deep undercover in college. It’s nice to be proven wrong but unfortunately 22 Jump Street, although worthy of a mention, is maybe not worth a cinema trip.

Cheap Thrills

Release Date: 6th June

When a family man finds himself dared to complete simple tasks for money he urgently needs, the stakes get increasingly higher; driven by a sick personality and a man lingering in desperation. At first the film sets out as a comedy but as it progresses, and the game turns into something more sinister, it is clear there are some darker elements. Touching on the two genres does appear to cancel the other out as the film doesn’t look laid back or intense but the core idea to the film’s plot does make it a film of interest.

The Dirties

Release Date: 6th June

Two best friends are filming a comedy about getting revenge on the bullies at their high school. One of them isn’t joking.

Chef

Release Date: 27th June

A food for film lovers about a food lover. After a negative review from a critique, a passionate chef is forced to embark on a journey to rediscover his creativity and love for film by setting up a food truck. Starring Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey Jr.

Cold In July

Release Date: 27th June

If there was one film I had to see this June, it would be Cold In July. While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar, Freddy Russell. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father, Ben, rolls into town; hell-bent on revenge. However, not all is as it seems. Shortly after Dane kills the home intruder, his life begins to unravel into a dark underworld of corruption and violence.

May Film Releases 2014

With movie award season firmly behind us it’s time for films of relative obscurity to rise and capture the attention of audiences. May bolsters a fine collection of films; from Postman Pat’s big screen debut, to the 32nd film centred on Godzilla (better known as Gojira to Japanese audiences) and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest blockbuster, but none live up to the collection of charming films listed below. After what seems like an endless barrage of superhero releases, this author no longer dedicates time to the super nature of men and therefore omitted the new release of X-Men: Days of Future Past too.

Blue Ruin

Release Date: 2nd May

Blue Ruin is a film concerning a mysterious homeless character drowning in misery and vengeance. A dark, action thriller that’s trailer sprouts more questions than it does answers: why is he so caught up on vengeance, what motivates him, what happened to him? a notion most trailers seem to shy away from. With the main characters savagery and dire situation, Blue Rain looks to pull on the heart-strings of the audience, creating a meaty human interest story which, tied in with the comparisons to some of Hitchcock’s best work, make Blue Rain one to watch for.

Brick Mansions

Release Date:  2nd May

One of, if not, the last projects completed by recently deceased Fast and Furious star Paul Walker, is Brick Mansions. The film is an adaptation of a French movie called District B13 and like the original, Brick Mansions stars parkour founder David Belle whose inspiration, choreography and skill are at the films heart. Similar to B13, Brick Mansions sees an undercover cop (Walker) attempt to take down a crime lord who has access to a neutron bomb and promises to pack a punch with Transporter 3 and Taken 2 producer Camille Delamarre, ex-wrestler Kurrgan and Wu-Tang clan member RZA on board. Although there’s an inner desire to see a parkour inspired film succeed, the films cast and short filming time (just 4 months) destroy almost any hope of Brick Mansions turning out to be anything more than mediocre.

Frank

Releases Date: 8th May

Frank is a comedy about a young musician who joins a band fronted by Frank; a mysterious character whose face is clad entirely in a paper-mâché mask. It has clear moments of comedy and an eccentric bunch of characters cast by Michael Fassbender, Domnhall Gleeson and Maggie Gynenhaal, but it isn’t apparent if the larder of jokes and these oddballs will carry the film in any purposeful direction.

Bad Neighbours

Release Date: 9th May

From one comedy to another, Bad Neighbours appears to be your stereotypical American comedy at a distance but from whisperings over the waters, Bad Neighbours looks refreshingly funny and a stellar film with enough quality to challenge the comedy crowd-pullers of Superbad and American Pie, allegedly. The film is about Mac and Kelly Radner, a couple with a newborn baby who are looking to settle into their quiet neighbourhood when a fraternity of 50 moves in next door. Ensuing clashes commence.

A Million Ways To Die In The West

Release Date: 30th May

Finally, completing a trio of May comedies is Seth McFarlane’s latest pet project; A Million Ways to Die in the West. Much like the title indicates the film depicts a million ludicrous different ways people die in the Wild West all whilst Seth McFarlane’s character attempts to prove himself against a notorious gun slinger. McFarlane’s work is full of abrupt and easy laughs but looks set to hit the spot.