Warning: Brace yourself for a sickening display of cinematic affection.

As far as movies based on lunar missions go Moon is up there with the best of them. With only one man and a computer voiced by Kevin Spacey, this is a film that blows the dust away from the sci-fi genre.

This is movie that not only pays homage to the likes of Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey but also turns expectations and marks itself as a visionary exploration on what it means to be human.

It is helped in no small way by Sam Rockwell, here playing the aptly named Sam. The film relies completely on his performance and if you are familiar with Rockwell then it comes at no surprise that his enigmatic screen presence makes Moon not only absorbing but also completely believable. Dealing with agoraphobia, mortality and paranoia, Rockwell never falters in his portrayal, and further cements himself as one of the best ‘oh, I recognise him from something’ actors out there.

What helps the film is its sheer restraint to be anything bordering on mainstream. One time Zowie Bowie (son of David) Duncan Jones directs the film with care and passion. Not relying on computer generated effects – something that has become a prerequisite of modern sci-fi – and instead using practical methods of creating an environment that not only looks startling (and not just in crisp high definition) but also adds a layer of authenticity often lacking in today’s cinema.

This method also helps you feel connected to the environment and helping to add to the unsettling nature of the picture. When Sam falls deeper into the mystery surrounding an accident, we are never sure what is real and what isn’t. Can we truly believe a narrator who seems to be both mentally and physically deteriorating before our eyes? The film constantly makes you question what is going on, leaving the audience constantly in the dark – a brave decision in an impatient age.

As the pieces of the puzzle fall into place then it becomes clear that each twist and turn has been clever crafted and the story forms together to create something truly memorable. It may be compared to the likes of Blade Runner but as far as intricate storytelling then it is on a par with recent directional debuts such as Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko.

Much like the aforementioned it takes the genre to new levels, often by making the ideas big and the storytelling simple – Something that Hollywood seems to have forgotten to do.

The Blu-ray release delves deeper into the process, featuring commentaries with Duncan Jones, Q&A sessions and behind the scenes footage. The only thing it lacks is major input from Rockwell. Still, you can’t ask much more than a high definition package that makes a visionary film truly visually spectacular.

Hecklerspray rating: 4/5

Now pardon us for our break in usual Hecklerspray cynicism so now enjoy a return to our normal programming…

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The concept of two sexy young women scrubbing the brain fragments off of a bathroom floor might sound to you like some niche Japanese Manga porn. Unfortunately it’s only another dysfunctional family indie drama.

Sunshine Cleaning has the indie genre down pat; colourful titles, top actors, interesting backdrop and troubled characters. In fact, it is walking the line so straight that it borders on the mundane. It works hard to be the next indie breakthrough like its predecessor Little Miss Sunshine, but the story doesn’t have as much to do.

Amy Adams is as likeable as ever and here she is playing Rose Lorkowski, a downtrodden single mum who is struggling to make ends meet as a cleaner. A character with zero self-esteem or vocational outlook, she is convinced that the world of crime scene cleaning is her way to fortune.

Obviously this is a messy job and she soon finds herself knee deep in all sorts of excrement. She is helped along the way by her sister Norah played by Emily Blunt. Here, the wayward sister, she lives at home with their father Joe (Alan Arkin) whose own business ventures are far from successful.

What we get is fairly ‘amusing’ situations, but because they all pretty much take place in the same setting, it never really takes off and – as you would expect – there is minimal comedy to be had from the stains left from the dead. All the cast do very well in their roles, particularly Arkin, but he is pretty much playing the same character he played in Little Miss Sunshine.

What it really seems to be doing is trying too hard; each character has an issue (all pretty much stemming from the same place) but they all have their own little moments of clarity. Sometimes it works and sometimes it comes across as excessively quirky (notably Norah under the train rails) but it always fails to click.

Neither the characters nor the surroundings come across as particularly easy to relate to. Adams always has the ability to convince, but it’s hard to care about the most popular girl in school who grew up to be a loser.

The film is just adequate, never fully taking off but not too dull either. It’s a small victory that anyone managed to make a film about cleaning up dead people that’s even remotely amusing. Be warned, though, as this is not the next big indie hit but instead is a film coasting on the merits of predecessors.

The DVD release packs in minimal extras but a so-so commentary from the writer and producer and a strange behind the scenes documentary about real-life crime scene cleaners. The documentary at least proves that the film is 100% more entertaining to people in the business, if that can be taken as a recommendation.

Hecklerspray Rating: 3/5

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Night at the Museum 2 isn’t a film content with itself. When it isn’t vying for the title of most irrelevant sequel, it decides to take a trip to Ben Stiller’s house for a mass celebrity circle jerk.

This isn’t just an excuse to make a mundane sequel, but for a bunch of overpaid comedians to make few laughs out of big ideas.

Growing up, adventure films would appeal to the simplistic nature of our naive brains and inspire us to climb trees and swashbuckle imaginary friends until our parents took us into psychotherapy.

What gave these films their longevity? Their lasting appeal for adults, their refusal to patronise and their universal humour. Now, what we are left with is Ben Stiller slapping two monkeys round the face – times have changed.

Night at the Museum didn’t set the world on fire. A night guard at a museum pitted against the exhibits as they came alive at night – it was a premise that had potential to be an exciting adventure tale, but the end result was underwhelming.

What we get in the sequel is more of the same. We get a brief glimpse at the larger scale objects that are sure to amaze but nothing really takes off. The only thing that is substituted from the original is the location and – instead of the father and son relationship anguish – it has Larry doubting his newly found fortune. Amelia Earhart (the adorable Amy Adams) lends support and acts as a strange love interest (considering she turns to wax come sunlight – something they get around with a cop-out, come closing credits).

One of the most surprising elements of the film is how it can be so packed with great comedy actors, some old (Christopher Guest) and some new (Bill Hader), but all of whom make damp squibs of their respective roles. Ben Stiller just seems to mope about in a role that actually gives him less to do than the original.

As an aid to the little ADHD, dribbling spawn that the film is aimed that, there are enough colourful characters and monkey-slapping action to keep them transfixed for quite a while. Otherwise there is little here for anybody to really connect with. Stiller is going through a mid-life crisis of sorts – something your average eight-year-old finds as interesting as their veg – and appears dull to adults. The historical figures are about as accurate as a pack of Top Trumps cards, with only Al Capone proving entertainment value.

When it comes to the finale battle, neither Steve Coogan entering stage left mounting a squirrel or eagle-headed Spartans make a spectacular finale. This throw-it-at-the-wall approach to studio comedy is ineffective and a reflection of a business that thinks sticking a bunch of ‘it’ name comedians in a bluescreen room with a blank page in front of them equals comedy gold. This is instead a display of Ben Stiller polishing his ego and giving a generous cheque to all his buddies.

Hecklerspray Rating: 2/5

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We’re looking at two releases here at Hecklerspray this week; the new Jack Black/Michael Cera Neanderthal comedy Year One and a Blu-ray release of the much maligned lizard dump Godzilla.

Year One – DVD:

Harold Ramis – comedy genius responsible for Groundhog Day and the best film of all time™ Ghostbusters – writes and directs Year One. Current comedy behemoths Jack Black and Michael Cera are cavemen Zed and Oh, both walking through various biblical settings trying to provide about as much subtle rib-tickling as someone stabbing you with a blunt knife. Ramis – once king of underplayed one-liners – simply lets Black and Cera loose with a series of uninspired improv set pieces.

It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the sheer pointlessness of the whole picture. Most of the scenarios involve sex in some way – masturbation, lesbian, gay, doggy, etc – which makes much of the religious backdrop completely irrelevant. Black and Cera play on their usual shtick, by now wearing thin. Like much of the cast they are wasted, with only Hank Azaria’s cameo actually raising a smirk.

Religion and its foundations are deeply linked with satire – Monty Python proved that – but this is Ramis trying to appeal to a new Animal House crowd, while assuming that the youth of today are so bored of intelligent comedy that he must resort to the type of toilet humour of his successors like Rogan and Apatow. This isn’t his style and what we are left with is a film that should sit among other uninspired ‘spoofs’ – perhaps Religious Movie is a more fitting title.

The DVD disc fillers are as equally ineffective as the film; unfunny deleted scenes, alternative endings and gag reels really make this a struggle to like. Also quite bafflingly, for any World of Warcraft fans a tribute to the popular online video Leeroy Jenkins is provided. The commentary is unapologetic, Ramis, Black and Cera chuckle about on set shenanigans but, predictably, not much at the film.

hecklerspray Rating: 2/5

Godzilla – Blu-Ray:

Paint us cynical, but here at hecklerspray we have become used the unfailing ineptitude of Hollywood over the years. Take this summer for example: both Terminator and Transformers churned out underwhelming plot-muddling guff in the way of sequels when clearly there is enough previous quality material to create entertaining bolt-bashing blockbusters.

Flip your minds back to 1998. The world was a more innocent place back then. Sure, we’d been burned before by the likes of rubber-nipple Batman and Robin, but we just had the box-office bombardment that was Titanic – the summer season was back!

So the expectations were high and – as we are used to now – they were dumped on in gigantic style by the beast that was Godzilla. No fault of the monster, but when Hollywood makes a giant dino flick, deprived of any resonance and casting Matthew Broderick in the lead, it’s setting itself up for a massive failure.

So the film contains enough frustrating collateral damage to make Michael Bay go hard, and enough plot to fit into a crisp packet – but that is the least of its worries. The action in uninspired, the CG flips between ropey and impressive and then to animatronics that look like a Blue Peter job. Matthew Broderick also turns in a solidly turgid performance as some worm guy who apparently is the only one who knows anything about giant radioactive lizards. Broderick, as usual, can’t work out the difference between whiny and charismatic (name a good film he was a lead in – not including Ferris Bueller and Election).

The Blu-ray proves that no matter of sheen can polish a turd and the extras are as pitiful as the film. SFX commentary, a highlight reel of monster action from rubber-suited Japanese Godzilla films and a preview of the upcoming 2012 – all of which prove to be as lifeless as this multi-million pound production.

Rating: 1.5/5

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In 24, Jack Bauer has managed to successfully battle presidential assassinations, nuclear bombs and wild cougars over the years – but latter seasons have left audiences less than gripped.

Season 7 sets to bring back what made the show unmissable – and it’s the best season so far.

If you are unfamiliar with 24, then there isn’t too much to catch up on. We have an ex-CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit) member named Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) shouting, punching, torturing and nipple-pinching his way to the truth in a long line of national disasters.

This season actually rounds Jack off into a conflicted hero, taking breaks between all that shouting and fighting to reflect on his controversial efforts. Shining a light on these ways is the FBI, with whom Jack is working. He partners up with Agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching) and the two make a good cop/ bad cop/ melodramatic self-reflective cop partnership. In fact, the series takes a refreshing look at Jack’s battle with his inner demons, making for a more character-driven show than previous seasons.

That doesn’t detract from the action, though. Jack is soon confronted by his previously dead colleague who has taken a buzz cut and a lesson in villainous snarling. Suffice to say that it’s an exciting start and one that sets us up for an unrelenting day.

The pace of the season becomes breathless. Constant twists and turns – sometimes bordering on the absurd – prevent lags, packing in a video store full of thriller-like plotlines and set-pieces into each 45-minute episode. The show does demand some suspension of disbelief, as the trail of deceit begins to run so long that it starts to loop back round on itself. Although a negative point, it can also be positive – it contributes to the exhilarating and action-packed season, and stops it becoming complacent.

Swapping the LA setting of previous outings for Washington DC also helps. This gives the banter between the president and Bauer a greater sense of urgency as the White House becomes part of the landscape being targeted. It also helps to maintain relationships between the politicians, FBI and Jack  – this show has always been as much about the bureaucrats as it has popping caps.

This is a deeper story than before, constantly evolving. After one piece of the puzzle falls into place, another ten pieces appear. But that’s why we love it. This season stands out – not just for being the most action-packed and narratively labyrinthine, but for the effort put into the characters. Bauer has always been a hero, a patriot wearing the flag, but this season takes the premise we know and explores the conflicted morality of a man facing the frontline.

Invigorating, refreshing and unmissable, Bauer is back with the best 24 hours you’ll ever spend with him.

24 Season 7 is out on DVD and Blu-ray now. DVD & Blu-ray Special Features include 14 Deleted Scenes, UK created featurette – ‘24 in 24’ (not on US version) behind the scenes footage, production details and 12 Audio Commentaries.

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Fanboy idol Hugh Jackman knows when he puts on the mutton chops that he is onto a winner.

So much so that, now he’s back again as the Gillette razor clawed Wolverine, he’s barely made any effort to make this entry stick out from the rest of the franchise.

Let’s get one thing straight: This is better than X3: The Last Stand. Watching a lobster snip at your genitalia is a less gruelling experience. Not to say that Wolverine is a good film – not when it throws franchise continuity around with such reckless abandon. If you like Bryan Singer’s two-stroke masterclass in comic book movie-making, then you may feel slightly bemused after this film is finished chewing up the established Wolverine facts then spitting them out, forming a somewhat hairy mess.

This is, literally, the full origin story (don’t mention Japan); we see him as a bone-clawed child (Original trilogy continuity error #1: He was given claws according to X1 and 2), then whipped through every war before joining a crime fighting group in Africa. These early scenes are the most enjoyable, a miniature team of X-Men raiding a base and using all their powers is enthralling and exactly the type of dynamic a film like this needs. The bunch of mutants features a decent who’s who as well: Dominic Monaghan is great but all too brief in his Electro-like appearance. Ryan Reynolds notches another superhero movie on his bedpost and makes a good wise-cracking Deadpool and then there’s Will.i.am, some sarky Asian dude and a bloke who has popped up in Lost.

The team is lead by a young Striker (Danny Houston) – of whom you know from X2 as Weapon X leader – here representing none of the subtle repression of a man scorned by mutant atrocity on his family. Now he is a panto villain. One that looks like a young Gordon Brown, too. Joining him on the evil side of the fence is Sabretooth, once a little furry package in the first X-Men, now shaven down and possessing the ability to string sentences together. Here as Wolverine’s brother, he runs around killing people and little else. Shame, as Liev Schreiber is a decent character actor and playing a thug-for-hire role really doesn’t provide anything for him to grab hold of.

This film is called Wolverine, though, and any team angle is soon dropped to follow the hardest man in a vest since John McClane. Reliable as Jackman is, this is just a retread, trying so hard to explain everything that it feels redundant, like a greatest hits collection – getting his leather jacket, bike, claws, memory erased, bouffant etc.

When it isn’t concerned with doing this, it’s packing in the mutant cameos. As said before, the X-mercenaries make fleeting appearances and joining them is baby Cyclops, Prof. X, Blob and fan favourite Gambit.

Taking a step aside for a moment to discuss Gambit; on any level of conception it’s hard to understand the casting of the role. Not being a 33-year-old virgin, our X-Men knowledge is minimal, but from what we remember of the guy, he was a slick rogue with an edge. Not a blank-faced OC extra with as much charisma as a pickled onion.

The film is an average romp, having none of the intensity nor the atmosphere of Singer’s films but, thankfully, not being the hyperactive, overcooked turkey of X3. Jackman wears the role like a comfortable slipper but the script and idea are unfocused and what could have been a dark, distinctive film ends up repeating much of what has come before and becoming cameo reliant.

On Blu-Ray the film is packed with some great extras; a Stan Lee conversation, deleted scenes, commentaries and behind the scenes features. Along with the excellent picture and sound on Blu-Ray, it also comes with a copy on DVD and a digital copy for your ipod – a nice little package.

Wolverine is a neutered film, trying to appeal to kiddies can never make this mutant go full berserker. Unfortunately, this means that much like the rest of the film, it never gets its claws deep enough into the really good stuff.

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Note to Megan Fox: Some people don’t like being called Hitler – especially when they’re your boss.

Apparently, in retaliation for her Hitler jibe, Michael Bay has decided to kill Megan Fox off in Transformers 3. If you ask us, he’s gone light on Megan – after all, this is a man who would blow up a children’s nursery if it got in between him and a badly conceptualised script.

It appears Megan Fox may have to find another franchise to cavort around in with a smug, self-satisfied look on her face. She’s reportedly going to be killed off in the upcoming Transformers sequel, imaginatively under the working title of  Transformers 3. Oh, spoilers!

It is hard to imagine the franchise going on without Megan Fox. After all, she lent so much to the films – for instance, there’s that bit where she leans over the car in the first film and, er, that bit where she leans over the motorcycle in the sequel.

If you are unfamiliar with the war of words between Fox and her Transformers director Michael Bay, then let us refresh you. Megan spoke to Wonderland Magazine and had this to say about her boss:

“He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he’s a nightmare to work for.”

Nice. Some crew members then wrote a letter, describing poor Fox as “Dumb as a rock” and suggesting that working with her is a”tedious experience“. More was said, but you have to feel sorry for the poor girl – or you would if she didn’t walk around with the equally vacant faced Robert Patterson.

It all looks like doom and gloom for Hollywood’s favourite pair of funbags, as rumours say she might not be part of the mega-franchise much longer – insiders tell In Touch Weekly that Bay is picking up his red and yellow crayons and writing Fox out of the series in a gory (and surely explosive) death scene, so that he can replace her with a newer, hotter, younger actress.

“Michael’s pretty much discovered Megan and now he’s very quietly looking for her replacement,” the source spilled. “He hasn’t decided if he’s going to kill her off in the next movie, but he just wants to be prepared.”

It’s okay though, Megan. You’ve got a successful movie career, two talents and a comfortable-looking ass to fall back on. Why, there’s that new film Jennifer’s Body that went straight to the bottom of the top 10 in the US. You’ll be alright, we’re sure there are plenty of directors out there dying to work with a one-note, robotic, self-absorbed actor famous for their bad relations with film crews.

Wait, we think we can hear the phone ringing. It’s McG, he wants to know if you’ll be in the next Terminator movie.

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Not really a refreshing vacation, Couples Retreat. Instead, expect the kind of thrills you’d get on a wet summer’s day in Butlins.

Starting off well, Couples Retreat sees Vince Vaughn dream up an idea about a holiday resort for couples – who get to indulge in the fine food, the bright blue water and the pristine sands, but only after they have finished partaking in the non-negotiable therapy courses. Hilarity should ensue, and at first it looks set to do just that.

Vaughn is joined by his old friend and sometime Iron Man director Jon Favreau in both acting and scripting duties. Surprisingly, the Swingers duo manage to change roles from their debut outing. Here Favreau manages to be the loose womaniser with questionable morals, while Vince looks on with a few sharp, well-placed one-liners. You’d think the film was an exercise in bringing this couple back together. It’s not, though – a supporting cast features more familiar faces.

The purpose of filling the film with these four sets of couples is clearly to make it relate on some level with different members of the audience – a trick that is sure to work. Jason Bateman is always a welcome addition to any cast, and here he plays the uptight but seemingly happily husband of Kristen Bell’s Cynthia. Of all the couples, they are the most difficult to accept as a real pairing. Sticking glasses on a hot woman does not make her a nerd. Cinematic history has taught this lesson on several occasions, but this couple is even harder to swallow considering how old the two are – presumably he proposed to her when she was an embryo.

As the couples embark on the resort, they are first shown around and taken aback by its beauty, as is the audience. We Brits may notice Shaun of the Dead and Spaced alumni Peter Serafinowicz playing the resorts manager, Sctanley, who insists his name is spelt with a ‘C’. An odd role and not one as nearly as funny as the film thinks it is. As the couples indulge in the therapy, we get to meet the therapists (a scene stealing Michael John Higgins is a stand-out) and also the resort’s owner Marcel, played by Jean Reno.

The film packs in plenty of characters and, as they first take part in the therapy sessions, it amuses – especially the awkward yoga scene with an overly enthusiastic instructor. The characters soon start realising truths about themselves and, after the young Trudy runs away to the neighbouring island, they find themselves following her.

Trudy’s exile occurs in the last third of the film, the toughest part of any film to master. Before this, it moves along at a nice enough pace with a few chuckles here and there to make this a likeable, if not unspectacular comedy. But never before have we witnessed such a sudden drop in quality.

Alarm bells start ringing after the utterly illogical motives of the leads as they split off. Some turn character for no other reason than to create conflict and to propel the plot in a certain direction. One scene involves Dave (Vaughn) having a face-off on Guitar Hero with Sctanley – a scene that is woeful between two adults to begin with, but soon becomes the most spectacularly badly edited sequence in a major movie of the 21st century.

Then as they reach the ‘party island’ they resolve all their issues in the midst of all the drinking and dancing. It becomes a repulsive display of a cinematic closure, one made more offensive by the sudden appearance of Shane’s (Faizon Love) ex-wife. The film then pretends that all this was part of the therapy and that the infinitely wise Marcel knew what was coming and what everyone would do, and implausibly gives them all wooden animals to represent their spirit.

Now the film is all wrapped up in a nice package and as the credits roll we get treated to snaps of the stars jet-skiing, swimming with dolphins and enjoying the sun, sea and sand. It soon becomes apparent that some idiot studio executive has just paid a bunch of actors to go on an extended holiday.

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Meeting the wrestler formally known as Stone Cold Steve Austin feels like being back at school again, waiting outside the headmaster’s office to be summoned in to talk.

Except we don’t remember our headmaster having the ability to knock our nose to the back of our head with a look. Steve Austin is about our height, but with the muscle mass of a bungalow attached to each arm. Shaking his hand, it soon becomes apparent how brittle we are compared.

Instantly his southern accent and smile are disarming. He has constant stories of the movie biz, his wrestling career as the infamous ‘Stone Cold’ and seems genuinely excited to be working with some top actors at the moment. So we gave Steve a right good grilling…

Hecklerspray: The tagline for Damage is ‘Pain has a new name’ – will future generations hurt themselves and scream ‘Ahhhh, I’m in soooo much Steve Austin?’

SA: Steve Austin: (Laughing) Stranger things have been said!…That has kinda got a good ring to it. I like that! We’re going to hire you.

HS: I am available for PR.

SA: I can live with that! There have been drinking games invented after me. I’ve heard people watch my DVDs as Stone Cold and take a shot every time I say ‘Hell’ or a swear word! You’d get pretty messed up watching the Stone Cold DVD and listening to my language!

HS: Do you feel like Damage will appeal to fans of your wrestling career?

SA: I think they’ll like it! I think they’ll also like it because it is not just a fight movie – there is a dramatic aspect to it. I’m a big fan of violence, but not gratuitous violence. The violence is a means to an end in the movie and we are telling a story. As me in this movie as John Brickner, who just came out of prison for five years for killing a guy I just thought that was a cloud that hung over the life of John in that movie, and that is the way I played it. In trying to redeem myself, I’m getting involved in a game I don’t want to be in! It puts me in a predicament in what is breaking my parole – even though my parole office doesn’t care – and the potential to kill another man, which,I’m damn sure I don’t want to do. I don’t want to be in those shoes but I am.

I think that the fights will satisfy the people, because they are good ones. But the story – hey – it ain’t Gone with the Wind and it’s probably not gonna win an Oscar, but it is a damn good movie that I am proud of and I think Steve Austin fans will like it.

HS: I think what might surprise them as well is that you inject some comedy into it.

SA: We didn’t want to go over the top with that, but there are moments in there. You have to let the audience up a bit, a bit of humour in there to let you take a breath of fresh air!

HS: Was there a type of film you wanted to pay homage to with Damage? What films do you love?

SA: Jeez! Hard Times, The Mechanic, Bullitt, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Sylvester Stallone stuff! Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – cool movies like that! Making movies like that, which aren’t really hard-core action movies but just cool movies, is an area I want to get into.

HS: Were the action scenes physically exhausting to film? How much of the stunt work did you do yourself?

SA: All of the fights…I think I did everything! When we were fighting in front of the crowds, we were fighting in silence. Then I told the director ‘Hey man, can we let them yell?’ and when they started yelling my adrenaline shot up! It was almost like being in a mini ring! Now we had a little bit of feedback and it made the action better because we were getting that response. That was a fun thing to do when working on the fight scenes.

It was pretty cold on set and in the one scene where I roll into the vat of oil, but it was a substitute, so it was so cold that every time that me and the guy who played Timmons would hit and block a punch our skin would stick together and when we pulled away it would take a layer of skin! I was like that for nine hours! And the make-up girl kept putting more and more on me. I remember everyone kept saying “Man, you are gonna enjoy that hot shower when you get done”, they were telling me that all day. I remember going to my trailer and they told me “We made sure you’ve got plenty of hot water”. I went to my trailer…cold water! They sent over a bunch of warm towels and I just towelled up in my trailer and rode home in my underwear and a bathrobe. Of course, wouldn’t you know it, they have got a sobriety check around the corner, so the cop pulls us over and I’m sitting there with a robe that is too small and my underwear!

HS: Did he recognise you?

SA: He didn’t even look at me! (Laughs) I was a little disappointed!

HS: You work with an impressive cast and crew on the movie – from Frank Hannah, writer of The Cooler and Walton Goggins from The Shield – being relatively new to movies, was it a great experience being surrounded by all these people?

SA: Absolutely, because you want to be surrounded by the best people you can be. If I am working with someone of my talent I can be as good as I can be. If I’m working with someone like Walton, who is a very good actor, I can raise my game. That puts me in my comfort rather than working on someone on my level. Same on my last movie I just filmed with Adam Beach (on The Stranger), a great actor, which, raises my game.

HS: Coming up, you have The Expendables with Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and Jason Statham. It is hotly anticipated – what can we expect?

SA: You can expect a lot of action, a lot of great fights, a lot of bullets and a lot of explosions. I think its going to be the coolest movie of 2010! I’m looking forward to seeing it myself. We had a blast making it and I had a blast working with all that star power that is in it.

HS: It’s not like there is any let up with the star power either, everyone is on the same billing.

SA: It was a who’s who of action movie stars. I was new to action but I was really well known as ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin’. So you’ve got all these action guys and you throw Eric Roberts into the mix who is a great, great actor.

HS: What type of movies would you like to explore in the future? Can we assume you’re not going to try and follow Hulk Hogan’s footsteps and make a Mr. Nanny?

SA: You are 100% correct in making that assumption! I wanna do cool movies like the ones I listed before, like the old Bronson, McQueen and Mark Walberg makes some cool movies. Just things that make good sense, I wanna have fun, be challenged and grow as an actor!

Steve Austin stars in Damage which is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray now. Read our review here and check out the trailer below!

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‘Pain has a new name’ says the tagline, although, perhaps the film shouldn’t be so self-deprecating on the cover art. Damage, after all, does what you expect.

Steve Austin stars as John Brickner – a man released from prison and on a trail for redemption. Unfortunately, redemption for his past act of violence comes at a price – kicking the crap out of everyone. It’s not the most ingenious set-up, and appears to be a surprisingly lowbrow effort from the writer of  The Cooler, but this film is all about walls with teeth, so who cares?

Well Steve does actually, a man who knows how to knock a man down til his face resembles a strawberry McFlurry. Austin wants to bring the man on a mission movie back, being the everyman (that is the 6ft 5inches everyman who can smelt gold with his hands) who tries to battle against adversity.

It’s a noble idea, but one that doesn’t completely connect. Austin doesn’t quite hold the chops yet to handle the drama as well as he does the action. He is aptly supported by The Shield alumni Walton Goggins and Battlestar Galactica’s favourite Doc, Donnelly Rhodes.

As the film continues, Austin manages to inject some humour into the role, and what could have been just another excuse for a brutal exploitation flick actually tries to gun for a bit more heart and feeling. The character gradually connects and lesser actors could have made it feel a lot cornier than it actually is.

It isn’t enough, though – the action strays away from gratuitous face-smashing (although there’s still plenty of it). Meanwhile, the script lacks any real spark and just moves along to its inevitable happy end.

A good effort which has the spirit but doesn’t follow through. The action feels occasionally repetitive and it is a story told many times before, only better. The DVD also lacks wealth, offering a chirpy behind the scenes featuring a few members of backslappers anonymous and nothing else.

This is a film trying too hard and, ultimately, not hitting hard enough. It should prove an entertaining watch for Stone Cold fans and action nuts, but don’t expect it to knock your socks off.

Watch the trailer for Damage here and read our interview with Steve Austin this week on Hecklerspray.

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It’s hard not to feel jealous of Ricky Gervais, since he seems to have Hollywood in the palm of his hand. Not content with appearing in any old cinematic guff swimming out our shores, one cheeky snaggletooth smile and he is whisked away to star in… well, any old guff swimming out of the US.

Alas, the man from sunny Reading has managed to attract a whole host of star-wattage toward his latest project – The Invention of Lying. Taking on co-writing and co-directing duties, not to mention starring in the film, you may think that this film is just a rehash of 90’s Jim Carrey vehicle Liar Liar.

That wouldn’t be a far off assumption – jumble around the ingredients and you’re left with the only man who can lie in an alternative universe where only the truth can be spoken. Replace Carrey’s gurning antics with a repressed, reserved English lead and, of course, hilarity ensures.

Except not quite. Gervais does what is expected, although it’s hard to pin down exactly what that is without using the over-used, nonexistent adjective ‘Brentish’, but this role actually surprises by using a bit more range, even touching on emotional depth.

Still, as Mark, Gervais has to rely on the supporting cast to stop this feeling like an American holiday for one of the UK’s top comedians. Jonah Hill and Tina Fey make best out of all too short roles which could have, and would have, definitely welcomed expansion. Most of the interaction and humour comes from Rob Lowe and the gorgeous looking Jennifer Garner (We once said that Gone Baby Gone was the best thing Ben Affleck has ever done – we were mistaken).

The two play their parts well enough, although apparently in this alt-verse you are also partially lobotomised. All the characters seem to have no range or depth, walking around with child-like naivety and often repeating the same lines to hammer home jokes (at least we think these instances were jokes). It seems odd that Mark is the only person thinking on any logical level. Does the ability to lie also make one more intelligent? It appears so.

It’s not a film that needs to be thought about too much. After all it is a comedy. But it is a shame given how rich The Office or Extras was. The film just meanders around obvious jokes and a reliance on star cameos. The only stand-out jokes being more of the understated humour and not necessarily the expected over-the-top jokes.

This isn’t Gervais on top form. It doesn’t quite reach the potential and, for a film that relies on one joke, it doesn’t explore it as much as it should. Towards the end, when religion becomes the target, it seems wishy washy, not as ballsy as it proclaims and just gives up on it after an uninspired Jesus costume.

This isn’t a remarkable effort. Although it demonstrates some of Gervais’ best acting work, The Invention of Lying lacks in the scipt and direction. Perhaps Ricky wasn’t the talented one after all, maybe it is time we all hail the comedy master that is Stephen Merchant! It is not a bad film, but just enjoyable fluff – it’s not that we’re angry with you Ricky, we are just disappointed.

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When America’s favourite yellow family The Simpsons (sorry liver-diseased The Johnsons of Massachusets) first appeared on our screens back in the 90s, who could have predicted that they would sustain twelve long seasons (and beyond…)?

Yet while this series packs in the laughs, the guest stars and the characters we all know and love, there is something that is starting to smell a bit off  in Springfield.

That is not to say that this is now a bad show. Far from it. In fact, this season packs in more wit and memorable episodes than other shows struggle to over their entire lifetimes. You just have to look at episodes like Trilogy of Error with its take on Run Lola Run mixed with Go. It’s fast, inventive and constantly delivers the laughs in a well-crafted story.

By season 12, The Simpsons started to struggle with what other animated shows have been wrestling with for years – what do you do when The Simpsons has already done everything? It has to take the premise – which usually grounds the episodes in family dilemmas, adolescent struggle and community issues (along with some spot-on social commentary) – and push it into extremes more suited to other shows.

Even the guest stars start to become less well integrated. Instead of having someone appear to play a character (just look back at how good Danny DeVito was as Homer’s brother) they seem to have episodes revolving around people they have signed on to appear – looking at you *NSYNC in New Kids on the Bleech. Sometimes, though, other episodes do a good job of slotting an actor into a role, such as Michael Keaton in Pokey Mom where he plays a convict with artistic talent that Marge takes a shine to. Comparing the two episodes, the latter is clearly a better crafted and funnier episode.

There is still a lot to like with The Simpsons: Season 12 and most of that is due to the familiarity and love that the audience has for the characters. Investing years in their exploits has made the audience feel like extended family members and, while they may be starting to show their age a bit with the musty smell of dried urine and the wrinkles of better times all over their face, we’d rather spend our Sunday afternoons with them than anybody else.

Although The Simpsons takes its time to come to DVD, it’s not really a problem considering the care and attention that goes into each DVD release. This season is no exception, featuring a wealth of extras including commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, behind the scenes footage and trailers galore. The commentaries (on every episode) are constantly entertaining and never a bore.

If you want to laugh, feel happy and spend roughly 500 minutes of your life having fun with one of the best (if not the best) television shows ever made, this is the DVD for you. It may not be on the top of its game any more but it certainly wipes the floor with most of those other, less jaundiced, television shows.

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Here at Hecklerspray, we love Vin Diesel, we really do. Maybe it’s because he looks like the love child of a polar bear and Chuch Norris, it could be because his voice can cut through a can of baked beans or perhaps it’s because he has to kiss Michelle Rodriguez so we don’t have to.

One thing it definately isn’t, though, is his choice of films!

 Returning to the Fast and Furious franchise, all the cast seem keen and eager to get back to where they began (i.e. obscurity) and get in on the action(i.e. pay cheque).

Going into the fourth installment (which, sadly, didn’t opt for the title 4 Fast 4 Furious), this is actually a prequel to the previous installment, Tokyo Drift (not that it matters). The main draw here is all the original actors return: Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster.

Fast and Furious movies come with a few prequisites; firstly we expect fast cars, cinemas full of dribbling ASBOs and impressive stunt work. In fact, we sat down with a few beers and pals to enjoy this latest installment, the way it should be watched.

The film starts off with a bang (in the form of a big CG truck), but before that rolls towards us, we are propelled straight into a moving canyon-path heist. Dom (Diesel) and Letty (Rodriguez) show some skills and throw the audience into an impressive action set-piece, full of vehicle to vehicle jumping, crashes and explosions – not a bad way to get things going!

Sadly, the fun soon slips its foot off of the accelerator. While FBI Agent O’Conner (Walker) even makes a decent entrance in the form of a nifty foot-chase, the fun is short-lived. Dom and O’Connor soon team up again on the trail of a murder, the two then getting back in the fast cars to beat the evil drug dealers (A couple of villains so lacking in any substance, subtitles may as well appear saying ‘booo!’)

The film has about four major action set-pieces, two of which (including the climax) take place in the same uninspired CGI cave – Clarkson would feel shortchanged by the level of cheap-looking, fabricated stunt-sequences contained in this film! It is dissapointing that a film reliant on car-based action, chooses to save money by going down the bluescreen route!

The film becomes a pedestrian trip of lacklustre action, effects and storytelling. The extras on the DVD disc do little to impress either, although, Vin’s Driving School is a highlight, even the gag-reel bores. It appears, for a franchise still with some power under the hood, it seems to be taking direction from a dodgy sat-nav!

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Entourage has been described as the male Sex and the City.

Strange, considering that Entourage has more wit, talent and imagination in one line of dialogue than Sex and the City had in its entirely overlong, over-hyped, self-indulgent, commercialised, horse-faced, mass-menopausal film.

If you’re not up to speed, the plot basically centres around Hollywood A-lister Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his tag-alongs. ‘E’ (Kevin Connolly) is Vincent’s manager, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is his driver and Drama (Kevin Dillon) is his less successful acting brother. Together, along with the always-modest Ari (Vince’s agent - Jeremy Piven), they try to bag movie roles, women and a good time on a weekly basis.

It sounds pretty basic and certainly doesn’t instantly reek of longevity. Five seasons in, though, and it is still as strong as it was when it first started. It’s a programme from the brain of Doug Ellin (and based on Mark Wahlberg’s early Hollywood exploits), that has evolved into one of the most enjoyable comedy-dramas on television.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it so compelling. Each season covers a specific part of Vincent’s career, with this season showing his struggle after a mega-flop and being seemingly uncastable. This situation makes for an interesting series, with plenty of cameos – from Gus Van Sant to Martin Scorsese – it is constantly enthralling to watch.

Maybe it is the fact that so many Hollywood major players want a part in it. This season alone packs in all manner of stars and familiar faces in different-sized roles, either playing themselves or a character, and it makes the programme feel genuine.

It’s not even that the characters continue to grow. They all end up back where they were, eventually – mostly fun-loving, foul-mouthed and filthy rich. The characters are so likeable and the curiosity of how the famous live is indulged with the filthy, upbeat tone that makes the Hollywood dream look as appealing as we all hoped it would be.

Whatever the reason, Entourage’s fifth season is fast-paced, must-see television and one of the best shows around at the moment. The only thing that lets the DVD release down is the lack of extras: a couple of commentaries and behind the scenes featurettes don’t add much to the package. It doesn’t really matter, though – if you’re a fan or have yet to see the series, then this boxset is worth the RRP for the show alone. You’d never guess that a hecklerspray reviewer would recommend a show about all the behind the scenes, filthy goings-on in Hollywood!

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Delve into the underbelly of

Those inhabitants will tell you stories of how Firefly was cruelly and prematurely cancelled. Hope was on the horizon, as Whedon has stretched his hand down once again to those disciples and bestowed upon them a new gift – one that comes in the form of Eliza Dushku in a leather dominatrix outfit.

Dollhouse, which is released on DVD this week, is the first series of Whedon’s new sci-fi, action-drama starring the forever ‘hot new thing’ Eliza Dushku. As Echo, Dushku plays a basic slave for hire, who can be imprinted to embody any personality the wealthy investor wishes – be it sex-toy, assassin or your run of the mill hostage negotiator. She’ll become exactly that and then nothing more than an empty vessel after her day is over. Your average prostitute, then.

While Dushku manages to embody the personality of the week with all the energy and charm that you would expect, she leaves nothing to relate to after the constant personality flippage. It is then down to the supporting cast to flesh out the thought-provoking premise. While some characters do indeed manage to paint a haunted picture, notably Echo’s handler Boyd (Harry Lennix) and the FBI agent trying to track down the illusive organisation (Tahmoh Penikett). Elsewhere, other characters, while enjoyable – Topher (Fran Kranz), the most obvious Whedon archetype – haven’t quite wandered into the deep end of the swimming pool yet.

The show is a tease, jumping from episode to episode, sometimes focusing in on the overall arc of the series and sometimes embarking on distractingly mundane ‘personality of the week’ plotlines. Without giving away twists, the amount of hidden dolls walking around often flirts with the absurd – if the show continues in this fashion it’ll soon fall into Heroes territory of creating twists to make up for a lack of other dramatic kicks.

It is a shame, as the show has plenty of other things to rely on. The action is excellently choreographed and the show has the potential to see the characters going anywhere and becoming anything. It really is a writer’s toy-box just waiting to be explored. Perhaps the current restraint is due to Whedon’s desire to maintain a steady flow of quality, allowing the second season to explore the possibilities in its own time.

As it is the show is frustratingly hit and miss. The lows aren’t enough to put you off, as the highs are so exceptionally exquisite, and with a quality supporting cast – made up of familiar faces such as Rushmore’s Olivia Williams and Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett – who really have an opportunity to make use of the shady background to provide a show that can rival much of the US output.

The DVD also provides a bonus in the form of an unaired episode of the show. Epitaph One features a bunch of survivors in an apocalyptic future torn by the Dollhouse technology, having been used as a weapon. It goes dark, featuring flashbacks of our normal protagonists as they have to deal with their worlds crumbling. It promises big things for a show that has so far only skimmed the surface. Elsewhere the discs provide commentaries and behind the scenes features that, if anything, show the bond between cast and crew that makes a Whedon product feel particularly unique.

You have to wonder why Whedon has been sectioned in with the Comic Con crowd. Sure, they are an appreciative bunch, understanding the complexities and the promise of such original programming, but this could make for a full-on commercial success.

Perhaps that’s a bit of wishful thinking, any semblance of originality to come out of US television very rarely catches the mainstream, but we’d rather have a show that makes you think and be unpopular than suffer another insufferable police drama. What Whedon has to decide now is where he wants to fall – does he want to make Dollhouse the exceptional piece of television it could be, or will he continue to let it simmer when it could really sizzle?

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