Films on Trial

Hubie Halloween is on trial this week. The fright of your life or a yellow stain? Ausy and Gav defend this week, pointing out the fun, daft humour that we need in 2020, with an undercurrent of social commentary on America in the 21st Century. Dave and Alex could not disagree more, saying the lack of jokes and poor taste make this a shallow waste of space. All this and an impression of Hubie himsel...

Crimson Peak is on trial this week. Built to last or a house of cards? Joel has picked this for Halloween Horror Month and defends it with Dave. They point out the masterful direction by Guillermo Del Toro and excellent performances by a top flight cast. Ausy and Alex look at the predictable plot and uninteresting script that make this a boring dud. On top of this we have an impersonation of an En...

Under The Skin is in the hot seat this week. Out of this world or does it go up in flames? Alex defends this sci-fi horror, talking about the beautiful imagery, a career topping performance from Scarlett Johansson and an original approach to story telling. Gav and Ausy are on the attack, pointing out the boring extended shots that go nowhere and the absence of any meaningful dialogue. All of this...

Constantine is being judged this week. On the righteous path or the highway to hell? Joel and Alex point out the interesting blend of noir with the battle between heaven and hell, as well as discussing the incredible supporting performances from Tilda Swinton and Peter Stormare. Gav and Dave prosecute, pointing out that this comic book adaptation bears little resemblance to the source material and...

Insidious is on trial this week. A haunting experience or one that will make you see red? Ausy and Dave argue that tired horror tropes, poor sound mixing and cheap jump scares are not James Wan's best efforts. Gav and Alex disagree, pointing out the innovative direction, superb cast of villains and terrifying use of violins. All this with a quiz about James Wan and an impression of Tiny Tim! www.f...

Tenet is in the dock this week. Does time fly or do you want to throw yourself overboard? Dave and Joel argue this is a mind bending and original classic, superbly directed by Christopher Nolan. Alex and Gav feel their minds were broken watching a confusing plot played out by uninteresting characters. All this and an impressive impression of Michael Caine turning Russian and a quiz all about Nolan...

Project Power is in the hot seat this week. Hot like a shrimp or a tough pill to swallow? Joel defends this week, looking at the great action sequences, fun powers and strong performances by Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and newcomer Dominique Fishback. Ausy and Alex are on the attack saying that the premise and set up of the film writes a cheque that the second half doesn't cash. All this and...

Big Fish is on trial this week. Will the defence reel the judge in or does the prosecution have it hook, line and sinker? Ausy and Alex argue that this is Tim Burton's most mature film that deals with big issues around life and death whilst showing a fairytale version of 50s America. Dave and Gav point out this is overly sentimental and gets bogged down in a complicated and scattered series of sho...

Deep Blue Sea is in the hot seat this week. Is there more below the surface here or will it get chewed to pieces? Dave and Joel defend, calling this the poster child for 90s disaster movies that doesn't fail in it's aim to entertain. Gav and Ausy are on the attack, saying this is a film that constantly shifts genres and makes up the rules as it goes along. Besides this we have an impression of Ste...

Eagle vs. Shark takes the hot seat this week. Does it fly high or plumb the depths? Ausy and Alex defend, pointing out the deep emotions that run below the surface of this awkward romcom and touching performances by the leads. Gav and Joel prosecute, saying that this romcom is light on both romance and comedy and tries so hard to be unconventional it ends up being boring. On top of this we have a...

Batman and Robin is on trial this week. A beautiful blossom or the bane of the franchise? Gav and Alex defend, saying that this was groundbreaking in the genre, exploring the wacky roots of Batman before everything got dark and gritty. Joel and Dave prosecute, pointing out that this barely resembles a Batman film fans would recognise and any script with this many ice puns can't be acceptable. All...

We've been a little slow in editing and publishing recently due to lockdown issues but rest assured the episodes have all been recorded and will start coming in thick and fast. The descriptions will get back to normal soon too. We promise! Anyway, to continue the impromptu bird month, Artemis Fowl goes on trial this week. A spring chicken or a giant turkey? Ausy and Dave are on defence and look at...

Birdman is in the dock this week as we continue on an avian theme for the rest of the month. A sell out run or a total flop? Alex and Dave defend and point out the original story and incredible performances whereas Gav and Ausy feel an ambiguous ending and unchallenging roles make this a dud. To top this off we have a batman/birdman impression and a quiz all about meta-cinema! www.filmsontrial.co....

Lovebirds is in the hot seat this week. A sweet song or a dirty splatter falling from a great height? Gav and Ausy defend, talking about the excellent performances and witty script. Joel and Dave disagree, saying that this is no more than a rehash of other more successful films. There's also an attempt at a New Orleans drawl and a bird-based quiz! www.filmsontrial.co.uk

After such a great response form the Disney+ challenge, we decided to try it again but for Amazon... With so much to choose from we limited it to horror films on Prime. You can't begin to imagine the films we picked for each other. www.filmsontrial.co.uk

Dunkirk takes the stand this week. Is it a meticulous recount of an important event in British history or does it get bogged down in patriotism? Ausy and Dave and Alex prosecute until the latter realises he's meant to be defending it. They point out the lack of any real protagonist and the "stiff upper lip" approach of the script and actors. Gav, later joined my Alex, defends by highlighting the i...

We're many many weeks into coronavirus lockdown now and have decided that we really need to inflict further inconvenience on each others isolation experiences. Did we decide to pick out some Disney gems or the most obscure Disney durge... no prizes for guessing correctly. www.filmsontrial.co.uk

Midsommar takes the stand this week. Are fans brainwashed or is this cutting edge horror? Joel and Dave prosecute, discussing the unnecessary gore and unbelievable stupidity of the characters. Gav and Ausy strongly disagree, pointing out the incredible cinematography and complex themes running throughout. On top of all this there's a quiz about cults in film and an impression of a swedish accent u...

Road house is on the chopping block this week. Timeless 80s action masterpiece or a pain in the neck? Gav and Dave defend this week, arguing that this is a film that sets out to entertain and does exactly that. Joel and Alex prosecute, pointing out the dated attitudes towards women and nonsensical plot. Plus an impression of the wonderful Sam Elliot and a quiz! www.filmsontrial.co.uk

Extraction is in the hot seat this week. An adrenaline pumping blockbuster or as much fun as a face full of rake? Joel and Gav argue it's a hit, highlighting the innovative action scenes and great performance by Chris Hemsworth. Ausy and Dave go on the attack, discussing the lack of any original story or dialogue. To top it off there's a quiz called Chris cross and we learn that Australian accents...

The Rock (1996) is on trial this week. Does it soar like a rocket or get impaled like Tony Todd? Alex and Dave defend this week, arguing that classic 90s action and a strong cast make this a hit. Gav and Ausy disagree, pointing out that tired action clichés and a terrible performance by Cage make them want to throw away the key. On top of this there's also an impression of Connery (there's more pr...

The ambitious Cloud Atlas is in the dock this week. Will it hold up or crumble under the pressure? Joel and Alex defend this week, highlighting the versatile performances and rich plot. Ausy and Gav try to bring them crashing down to earth, arguing the length and sheer amount of story stop this from being a hit. As always there is a dubious impression and a quiz at the end! www.filmsontrial.co.uk

The 2001 Ocean's 11 is on trial this week. Does it hit the jackpot or is it caught red-handed? We have our special guest and friend Big Dave joining us this week to lend some sanity to proceedings as well as his genuine opinion. Gav and Joel prosecute, pointing out the glaring lack of substantial female roles and a plot that lacks any tension. Dave and Alex defend, arguing that stylish direction a...

This week Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is on trial. Is it totally awesome or completely bodacious? Cowabunga or cowabungedup? Turtle shell or or turtles head? ... you get the picture. www.filmsontrial.co.uk

Cloverfield is on trial this week. Does it bring the house down or does it make your head want to explode? Joel and Alex are defending this week, arguing that outstanding acting and an original take make this a classic. Dave and Ausy disagree, pointing out the tired monster movie tropes and stomach churning camerawork. All this and an incredibly awful impression of TJ Miller, plus a quiz based on...