An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Dark vibes: Kevin Costner takes the lead in Mr Brooks
Gripping: The Serpent
Intriguing: Strong performances in Yella
Old hat: The Invasion never kicks into gear
Up close and personal: DJ Krush's achievements as hip hop's first non-US star are put in context
Kevin Costner is businessman by day, murderer by night in Mr Brooks, while Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig star in body-snatching thriller, The Invasion.
DVD OF THE WEEK
Mr Brooks
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 18, £19.99
****
Implausibility reigns in this serial killer thriller, but don't let that put you off. Kevin Costner plays delightfully against type as the titular Mr Brooks, a top businessman by day and murderer by night.
You know the sort: likes to stalk attractive young couples and slaughter them in their beds, encouraged by his imaginary friend (William Hurt).
Hurt is a stand-out as the devil on Brooks's shoulder and even Demi Moore pulls off her role as a sharp-witted cop on Brooks's trail.
Comedian Dane Cook does a decent dimwit as the potential blackmailer who's well out of his league.
Contacting Brooks after witnessing one of his crimes, this Peeping Tom becomes the murderer's unwelcome sidekick but his cunning is no match for Brooks's devious plotting.
A subplot about Brooks's daughter will divide audiences, and doesn't stand up to serious examination. OK, it's preposterous. But the film's dark vibe and keep 'em guessing plot help make it trash of the highest order.
Extras: Commentary by director Bruce A Evans and writer Raynold Gideon, deleted scenes (including a sex scene with Moore's character and a male escort), featurettes, trailer. Anna Smith
The Serpent
Metrodome, 15, £15.99
***
New Bond girl Olga Kurylenko sizzles in this sexy, sinister French thriller. She's Sofia, a con artist under the grip of a disturbed man, Plender (Clovis Cornillac), who's bent on revenge. Plender's target is hero Vincent (Yvan Attal), a photographer going through a messy divorce.
While only appearing in the first act of the film, Kurylenko's role sets off an explosive chain of events. Vincent is accused of rape by the seductive Sofia but that's just the beginning of his problems.
It turns out serial blackmailer Plender has a serious grudge that won't be sated by mere money. Vincent finds himself in the centre of an escalating nightmare, desperate to prove his innocence and protect his children as Plender manipulates his life with his corrupt, cunning plan.
Much like the French thriller Tell No One, The Serpent is a gripping, pacy watch with a relatable hero.
It's not as emotive or twist-ridden as the former, so perhaps less exceptional, but it's classy and accessible - two qualities this genre of French cinema is combining with increasing success.
Extras: Making-of featurette, interviews with director, producer and Olga Kurylenko, trailer. AS
Yella
Artificial Eye, 15, £19.99
***
A woman tries to escape her violent ex-boyfriend in this intriguing German thriller. Don't be misled by the word 'thriller', though: this is slow-burning stuff, taking time to colour its characters and build on the mystery.
Yella (Nina Hoss) is a quiet, downtrodden young woman who escapes death after her crazy ex drives them both off a bridge into a river. Dragging herself on to a train, the soaking wet Yella manages to keep her appointment with a new boss - but nothing turns out as she expected.
Living in a hotel, she befriends a financial wheeler-dealer who's in need of a sidekick with an eye for accounts. Yella seems to find the world of the ruthless venture capitalist easier to live in and their relationship is fascinating. However, Yella is haunted by her threatening ex, who appears to have followed her.
Performances are strong and the economical dialogue observant. Bursts of dark humour lighten the tone, although this is no easy ride.
It is, however, a rewarding one raising far too many thoughtprovoking themes to list here. And that would be giving too much away, anyway...
Extras: Interviews with Nina Hoss, director Christian Petzold, trailer, filmographies. AS
The Invasion
Warner Bros, 15, £16.99
**
The latest body-snatchers thriller snuck into cinemas without screening to critics and, after a disappointing box office take, it reaches its natural home: DVD.
Nicole Kidman is New York psychologist Carol, who has a young son (Jackson Bond) and a strained relationship with her ex (Jeremy Northam). Clients and friends start being turned into zombies by an alien presence: can she escape and find a cure?
Kidman is professional as the steely psychologist with a sensitive interior and there are a couple of suspenseful scenes.
But The Invasion never kicks into gear. Carol and her doctor sidekick Ben (a wasted Daniel Craig) are lofty, socially challenged intellectuals; you rarely feel as if you're in the thick of the action, just coldly observing from a distance. And in the wake of Cloverfield, The Invasion looks even more old hat.
Extras: Four documentaries, including a behind-the-scenes featurette and a special on how popular culture has dealt with invasions. AS
DJ Krush: Ko-no-Michi
Sony/BMG, £9.99
****
Ko-no-Michi covers iconic Japanese beatsmith DJ Krush's career from the mid-1990s to his 2006 world tour.
The story behind each of his albums is mixed up with studio footage (DJ Shadow and Krush telepathically scratching), interviews galore (including Krush), gigs and all of his videos.
The highlight is getting up close and personal, like a David Attenborough documentary, with Krush alone at night on a rooftop with imposing skyscrapers as a backdrop - it's as moody and stark a setting as his melancholic soundscapes.
The geeky, wondrous art of turntablism and the concept of decks as an instrument comes across powerfully as Krush tickles vinyl and works the mixer with dizzying, Muhammad Ali-esque hand speed.
Interviews with hip hop icons (Wild Style's Charlie Ahearn, graffiti writer Futura) and collaborators (Shadow, CL Smooth), help put Krush's achievements as hip hop's first non-US star in context.
Extras: None. Rahul Verma
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