Reviews

Breakbeat virtuoso explores new pan-global pastures on solo debut

Star-studded double dose of live and studio work from country's original outlaw

The stars come out for Captain Kirk

Texas Chainsaw creator directs poor horror remake

DIRECTED BY Chanwook Park STARRING Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yoo, Hye-jung Gang Opens October 15, Cert 18, 119 mins the second instalment in director Chanwook Park's so-called "Revenge Trilogy" (begun with 2002's Sympathy For Mr Vengeance) would put even Tarantino to shame.

It's scripted by David Mamet, but what raises Danny DeVito's 1992 biopic is Jack Nicholson's role as the irascible union boss/Mob associate who 'went missing' in the '70s. Charting five decades, from bullying rise in the trucking game in the 30s, through troubles with the Kennedys, to Hoffa's presumed assassination, it's an ambitious undertaking, often muddled. Nicholson, though, hidden behind false nose, bulldozes through like Cagney. Neglected, but one of the performances of his career.

After the footsore Godzilla, Roland Emmerich gets his eye-catching world-trashing set-pieces on track again as stormy weather lays waste to planet Earth. Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal are father and son wishing they'd worn bigger galoshes, and the 'message'is right-on (if inaccurate), but it's all about the gosh-wow effects.

Ridiculously entertaining car chase and all, William Friedkin's brutal, dumb 1985 crime flick resembles his French Connection resprayed for the West Coast. The movie benefits from LA shimmer and deployment of under-used actors: Willem Dafoe plays a ruthless, faintly perverse counterfeiter and William Petersen is the lawman in tight jeans crossing the line in pursuit of him. Listen for the Wang Chung soundtrack! Maybe not.

Mighty compilation of LA country-punk pioneers

Songwriting legend breaks her 'retirement' with hand-picked best-of