Predators

It’s funny the effect that development hell can have on a project. This one, for instance, was supposed to have been directed by Robert Rodriguez, but ended up being a “Rodriguez presents …” title, with the unknown Hungarian director Nimród E. Antal at the helm. It can be likened in many ways to Pitch Black – an abandoned Alien 3 script rescued by then-unknown David Twohy. Accounting for inflation, the budget, box office and critical reception aren’t too far apart, though Predators is nowhere near as good a film. Even so, it’s a just sequel to the first Predator movie – mostly because Predator was a bit crap. Oh, come on, it was! Fun though, oh yes, plenty of fun.

Machete

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is the first time I’ve ever seen a man crash through a window swinging on the “rope” of another man’s intestine. That was unnecessary, I thought between shocked giggles. But then, Robert Rodriguez’ Machete isn’t renowned for its subtlety.