Sex Tape

The Film They Didn't Want Their Kids Seeing

Director: Jake Kasdan
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 90 mins
Genre: Comedy
Actors: Jason Segal, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black

"What did you guys do, make a sex tape?"

If you liked Bad Teacher, then you'll probably be curious to see what Jake Kasdan's new instalment Sex Tape has to offer in this "could be but isn't" sequel. Again Jason Segal plays his lovable self who, like in most of his films, can't resist getting his kit off for the cameras, but who doesn't love seeing Jason without a shirt cracking jokes. Cameron Diaz on the other hand, proves that she's still got it and still despite being around a while still isn't showing her age scoring her stamp as a cougar.

When college sweethearts Annie (Diaz) and Jay (Segal) settle into married life and raising children, they began to see the flare of their once passionate youth fade away with the stress of work piling on. Answer to their "dry spell", make a sex tape. But when the tape falls into the wrong hands, the new actors must go to rather extreme lengths in the hope of retrieving their stolen home video before its too late. With the help of their two friends Robby and Tess, a couple around the same stage of life as Jay and Annie, they try to track down and find all the people who may have unwillingly gotten their hands on the infamous sex tape (although in no part of this film do we see an actual tape).

You wonder where a film like Sex Tape can really go after a while and it did begin to feel like the strongish first half was being let down by cheap cracks (no pun intended) in the latter. Having heard the film wasn't doing particularly well, I was eager to check it out given how much I enjoyed Bad Teacher and Jason's projects (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five Year Engagement) and I've got to be honest, it did meet expectations. It was funny and did manage to make me laugh, but the story was week and the comedy began to drop to a level that wasn't up to the standards we're use to see from the two rather funny actors. It did make me wonder if there was an ulterior motive for the Segal and Diaz, what with How I Met Your Mother finishing giving Segal a window to get back out there in some new projects, and perhaps Diaz wanted to prove that she's still as fiery as she was when she sung her way onto our screens in The Mask.

Whatever it was, I wouldn't say it was a bad film, but just one that could've had more to it than it's simple plot line. It would've been good to see more of a confrontation at the end, and I really hate that Jason Segal had to seccum to slapstick comedy as a way of getting laughs. However, Jack black managed to save it with his hilarious cameo and after everything that goes on, the film at the core is actually very sweet. Not the funniest comedy of the year, but still had a few laughs watching it.

2/5

Escape from Alcatraz

The Most Daring "Escape" On Record

Director: Don Siegel
Release Date: 1979
Rating: 15
Running Time: 100 mins
Genre: Drama/Biopic
Actors: Clint Eastwood, Larry Hankin, Patrick Magoohan, Roberts Blossom

"No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz prison, and no one ever will."

The intriguing mystery of three men's daring escape from Alcatraz prison in San Francisco in 1962 whereby we see them plan, and attempt a possibly successful breakout. Still to this day it remains a mystery however, if they were able to survive the tide and life on the outside of Alcatraz' Walls as nothing was found of them after their escape. Though first described as an impenetrable and inescapabe prison, the three men prove that with enough determination and time, they would succeed in a breakout, but with the prison's island situated far from the shores of San Francisco Bay.

Clint Eastwood stars as the dramatised prisoner Frank Morris, a man who was sent to the inescapable Alcatraz after escaping all previous prisons he'd been put in. However, it doesn't take five minutes before Frank's planning his next break out and it's not long before others decide to try and get a taste of freedom. With the help of three other inmates, Morris leads the incredibly difficult, low chance escape that only three of them were able to achieve.

This claustrophobic film will have you gripped as you see the cunning and crafty initiatives of these men unravel and they claw at the slim chance of getting out. There's high tension as you see them against all odds, attempt their escape, right up to it's haunting climax of the three successful escapists swimming to freedom across the dark water's strong currents and tides. Although no real evidence of the prisoners surviving was recorded, it's an incredible story and creates a very ghostly feel to the ending. There are many conspiracies and alternative ideas to what went on post-escape, but not knowing adds to the mystery of the Alcatraz escape.

A fantastic prison drama that provides thrills and tension throughout. The Shawshank Redemption meets The Great Escape.

7/10