Infestation (2009)

DVDBright Star (DVD)
08/03/2010 | Nikki Baughan

Poetry in motion... It’s 1818, and young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is more interested in fashion than men, and when she meets 23-year-old poet John Keats (Ben Wishaw) she thinks his work - and his character - somewhat lacking. Over time, however, Fanny comes to realise the [ ... ]

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DVDAn Education (DVD)
08/03/2010 | Nikki Baughan

Life lessons Directed by Danish film-maker Lone Scherfig, An Education is a coming of age drama is set in early 1960s Twickenham. Adapted by Nick Hornby from Lynn Barber’s memoir, the story revolves around intelligent teenage schoolgirl Jenny (Carey Mulligan) who has her hea [ ... ]

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Written by Nikki Baughan Sunday, 06 September 2009 19:49

DVD

When disenchanted 20-something Cooper (Chris Marquette) is fired from his job, he thinks he’s having a bad day. But he ‘aint see nothing yet. Waking up several days later cocooned in a web with no memory of how he got there, Cooper makes the horrifying discovery that his hometown has been over-run with giant bugs. Teaming up with a group of survivors, including the feisty Sarah (Brooke Nevin), Cooper must step up to his new heroic responsibilities and save the world – and win the girl, of course.

Taking its cue from classic B-movies, Infestation is a hugely enjoyable creature feature that mixes old-school horror with modern CGI techniques to great effect. The bugs themselves take centre stage; looking like oversized cockroaches they are genuinely scary despite their – most likely deliberate – rough-around-the-edges look, particularly as they interact so believably with their live action environment.

And heading up the human cast with equal style is Chris Marquette, a prolific young actor previously seen in films like Freddy vs Jason (2003), The Girl Next Door (2004) and The Invisible (2007). Here, he showcases some true leading man qualities. Self-deprecating and extremely likeable, Marquette displays a knack for comedy timing and boy-next-door charm that makes his journey from slacker to action hero hugely involving. And Ray Wise’s turn as Cooper’s bad-ass dad will make many a genre fan smile.

Writer/director Kyle Rankin is clearly a horror aficionado, and has infused his script with all the elements that make a B-movie great; an outlandish premise, OTT performances and killer effects. And it absolutely works; don’t let the straight-to-DVD status fool you, Infestation is a sticky, schlocky treat. 4 stars

Extra Features
Sadly, just a making of. 1 star

ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Chris Marquette, Brooke Nevin, Ray Wise
Director Kyle Rankin
Distributor Icon Home Entertainment
Format DVD & Blu-ray
Released September 7

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An Education

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