Forever assigned to horror movie scores, once in a while Chris Young scores an action movie, and man...is Hard Rain action-packed, with just a hint of horror thrown in.

With only two themes (chronicling the power of nature), Hard Rain does something new and different; a specific beat carries the score. And within this beat Chris Young throws in blasting brass sections, rambunctious strings and pounding bass.

Since there is no real character development in the film there is no need for individual themes. The whole film takes place in real time with a consistent atmosphere. The good guys and bad guys switch loyalties every five minutes, the rain doesn't let up and time runs out faster and faster. The score matches the panic and increasing desperation of the characters by being nothing more than wall to wall fury. The action cues are so vivid you can almost see the gunshots and bullets shredding your living room.

Kicking off immediately with the main theme and launching into an overture indicating the doom of the oncoming flood, the Hard Rain score soon falls into the groove of violent, sometimes scary cues all to a nervous beat. Occasionally, amid the violence and sometimes full orchestral carnage, some genuine horror moments creep in. In track six 'The Church Attack', before the major action cues blow up, an almost chilling string crescendo lends a unique touch.

Now out of print, I'd recommend picking it up whenever you find it. The CD is 55 minutes of relentless action and, quite appropriately, ends with a song by Jars of Clay called 'Flood' featured at the end of the film.

The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys is kind of like a cross between The Virgin Suicides and Stand By Me. Set in the 70's (featuring many cool 70's haircuts) in small town Georgia, the story focuses on Francis, a 14-year-old dreamer and troublemaker. He and his pals, Tim, Wade, and Joey cope with life under the oppressive rule of one-legged nun Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) at the Puritan Christian high school they're unfortunate enough to attend.

One of their methods of escape is the 'The Atomic Trinity' comic book. Each of them have their own character with superpowers (such as The Muscle, Captain Asskicker and Skeleton Boy), battling against the tyrannical regime of Nunzilla/Pegleg (a gross caricature of Sister Assumpta). These fantasy stories make up the terrific animated sequences of the film. The cool thing is that they are not so totally removed from the reality of Francis, Tim, Wade and Joey.

The boys soon find their way into a lot of trouble though. After stealing the school's nun statue mascot the quartet plan to steal a cougar from the zoo and put in Sister Assumpta's office. A mad plan yes, but their determination and invention behind it is very clever.

Some scenes of the film are very emotional, so if you have soft spot you'll find it tough to get through the scene where Tim finds a dying dog by the side of the road or Francis reading a poem at the funeral.

Francis' relationship with Margie (the very cute Jenna Malone) also takes many curious and unique turns. The scene with the ghost watching them sleep was pleasingly weird.

Taken from the one and only book (posthumously) by Chris Fuhrman (a book I must get as soon as I see), The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys is attractively shot, wonderfully acted and definitely worth getting.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 widescreen (strangely non-anamorphic, though the region 2 version is) with Dolby 5.1 sound and a mild bunch of extras.

Though miles better than the (awful) first game this still suffers from major bore. The free-roaming gameplay would be great if there were a bit more variety and things to do.

The main problem is that the gaming area is absolutely immense. While this may be a good thing (a whole state is your gaming area in the upcoming GTA: San Andreas) there are very few definitive landmarks to give you some kind of orientation. It's based on the real New York, with all the famous buildings, but literally hundreds of streets look the same and it's very, very easy to get hopelessly lost. Plus the only method of travel is swinging. Yes, it's cool, but very slow considering the area you have to cover and not to easy to control unless your a genius with the control pad.

And the missions are all the same. Stop an armoured car hijack, stop a guy stealing a car, save some idiot hanging off a building, beating up nameless thugs, save some guy hanging off a building, stop some guy stealing a car, save some guy hanging off a building...boring. When you complete a mission that should be it done for the whole game, none of this again and again and again trash. The average score for completing these missions is 250 hero points...you need 1, 000, 000 to reach Doc Ock at the end of the game. Sorry I ain't sticking around long enough to 4000 tedious missions.

The only cool thing about this game is that it's narrated by Bruce Campbell. The rest seems like a rushed movie tie-in, not a real game.

It's taken long enough. But now, with the release of the Garfield movie, seems to be the best time for the fat cats DVD debute. There are 3 TV specials on this DVD, all directed by Phil Roman (Producer of The Simpsons, The Critic, King of the Hill).

The first is 'Here Comes Garfield' from 1982

Most feature-length movies achieve only half of what Here Comes Garfield does. Even though it's only 24 minutes long. Garfield and Odie may have a love/hate relationship but deep down they need each other.

The feline and the canine torment an old neighbor, who promptly calls the animal pound, who takes Odie away. Garfield bids good riddance but later at night the guilt and dread of a missing Odie overpowers him and he sets about rescuing him from the pound.

Garfield may have come from a simple comic strip but there are some touching moments in this TV Special that prove why he has been so consistently popular for the past 25 years.

The animation mimics Jim Davis' early incarnation of Garfield (this was made in 1982) and although it's not as refined as the modern Garfield he's still the same great, fat cat. The late Lorenzo Music is his voice (or thoughts), though Thom Huge is not the voice of John, he would appear in the further TV Specials and the later TV Series.

A genuine classic.

Second up is 'Garfield on the Town' from 1983.

We all know how much Garfield hates going to the vet. So after wrecking Jon's house the fat cat is dragged, kicking and screaming, into the car. But even on the way there Garfield can't sit a peace. Until he falls out of the window and into the busy street.

He quickly learns that freedom from Jon and life on the streets isn't all fun and games. No one is kind to him, he's cold and quickly hungry. So when he dips into a smelly garbage can he's met with hostility from a punk alley cat.

Being house cat and used to home comforts, Garfield cannot match the aggression of this alley cat. More so when a hundred of them (looking more like the Critters from the movie of the same name, than alley cats) come after him.

Garfield takes refuge in an old building which just happens to be Italian Restaurant where he was born. There he meets him mother and the rest of his family. Tho he doesn't belong. And Garfield learns that his real family is Jon and Odie.

It's a very sweet natured story and the ending is cute and touching. There is a good reason why it won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.

Lastly we have 'Garfield gets a Life' from 1991.

In this TV special Jon is the one who needs a life. The highlight of his day is counting the tiles on the ceiling and rearranging his sock drawer. Not content with this forever, Jon takes Garfield to a self help group in order to meet people. How many people will be interested in a loner 20-something who's best friend is a cat?

After several failed attempts at getting a girl, including one cringeworthy dance scene that rivals David Brents' fusion of Flashdance and MC Hammer in The Office (Disco's dead?, says Jon), he is more than shocked to find a cute girl who is as much as a jerk as himself.

Naturally, they get on but Garfield is worried that John will forget about him and prefer having kids to a cat. Fortunately Jon's new girlfriend is allergic to cats.

With slicker animation than past TV specials, this feels like a longer episode of Garfield and Friends.

The DVD sports a 1.33:1 picture that presents the animation far cleaner and better than the old VHS tapes ever did. The sound is plain old Mono but it does the trick. The only extra is a brief featurette on the Garfield movie. I do wish Fox would release another DVD like this with other Garfield TV specials like 'Garfield in the Rough', 'Garfield in Paradise' and 'A Garfield Christmas'.

But just get this 'un to tide you over until the Garfield and Friends: Season 1 DVD come out.

There's a lot going on in this game and so many devices and sub-games to keep you addicted. Not so much a DX than an updated version of the Sonic Adventure, from the now obsolete Dreamcast, with better graphics, new missions and loads of extras.

You play the game as seven different characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big the Cat, The Robot Dude and (much later) Super Sonic. The Sonic, Tails and Knuckles levels are the best. The Big the Cat levels are really boring and slow. Each character has their own story and their own power-ups, all happening at the same time. The result is almost an RPG-like game. If this were taken a few steps further who knows how great the game could have been. Though it's still brilliant as it is.

The structure is also genius and easy to get to grips with. As whatever character, you run around massive levels like Station Square and The Mystic Ruins which leads to many different action stages. The action stages can range between casinos, snowboarding, racing through sky-high circuits, go-carting, flying around in Tails' red bi-plane, flying through wind tunnels, chases across the city rooftops and racing across sandy beaches. As always the Sonic world (curiously earthlike and nothing like the planet Mobius from before) is absolutely gorgeous with an exotic feel, eternal sunshine and the bluest of skies.

What I like best about the game are the Chao. The cute little creatures you hatch and raise between levels. They are so great they became my reason for getting through the game. And as a bonus all Sonic games from the old Sega Game Gear are included. Each one is unlocked after every 20 emblems collected (1 awarded after each mission complete and others scattered about levels).

Some parts of the game can be awfully repetitive. Certain FMV sequences were used more than once and there was no point in that. And intros to certain parts of the game took too long and became quite annoying when losing a life and starting again.

The self-controlled camera was cool and useful. Though in cramped quarters it seemed to get stuck and being unable to see the character due to the spasming camera sometimes resulted in the loss of a life. That was quite annoying.

The music is great and I strongly suggest you get all the soundtrack CDs (I did). There are brilliant, fun-loving themes that totally carry the action along. The voices however, were a bit off from the original Japanese lip movements.

A totally brilliant game that you simply must get. Sonic Adventure DX will keep you entertained for ages.

Who would have thought it? Don Coscarelli, the man who wrote and directed Phantasm a long, long time ago comes back out of nowhere, after spending his entire career in the dregs, with something like this. A film that is more an exploration of regret, fading dignity and growing old than it is about a soul-sucking mummy.

Very old Elvis is brilliantly played by Bruce Campbell. The voice, the hair, the mannerisms are all perfect. He's stuck in Mud Creek rest home where the cynical staff believe he's really called Sebastian Haff, the man Elvis traded places with back in the 70s. And when Haff died, so did the Elvis the public loved. This only left the REAL Elvis free to live his life in peace and eventually indignity.

He pals up with a man who believes he's JFK, only problem is he's black. Though it's more likely he's senile rather than a truth-teller like the so-called Sebastian Haff. Both men have one concern, to stop some kind of Bubba Ho-Tep mummy from taking the souls of all the rest home residents.

Yes, it's insane. But also wildly imaginative and more than balances out the endless, heartless, conveyer belt Hollywood productions. Elements of the story will stay with you and the character development is graceful and important.

The finishing touch is Brian Tyler's awesome score. The main theme is one of the best ever and will flood you will feeling and emotion. Not only is Bubba Ho-Tep blessed with a cast and crew who care about the film their making, it also has wonderful music too. I am lucky enough to have the rare score CD (autographed by Coscarelli and Tyler). Hunt it down, it's seriously worth it.

The DVD is in flawless 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with loud, effective Dolby 5.1 sound. There is an absolute truckload of features which are, for a change, worth it considering how good the film is. You seriously have to get this, baby.

Keep a lookout for Reggie Bannister as the rest home manager. And watch all the way to the end for a weird message at the end of the credits...

ELVIS RETURNS IN 'BUBBA NOSFERATU: CURSE OF THE SHE VAMPIRES'

If you want a brainless 90 minutes in which you simply do not want to think then this is the kind of movie you might want to rent.

Frankie Munitz, mooching off what fame he has left before he becomes a 'former child star' is the Junior James Bond, a kid in the CIA. Yes, it's stupid but it makes things happen for a while. Hilary Duff is his would-be girlfriend as he freezes up when he talks to girls (stop it, you're killing me). Her dad is some scientist working for a madman (played by some overtanned Brit) and he has to infiltrate blah blah blah...

Yes it is bad, but it could be worse, it could be the sequel. A film so bad and so quickly hashed out that they forgot they already set up Arnold Vosloo as a returning baddie.

Spoilers thar be!

I remember being hyped at seeing this film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival last year, as were a lot of other people. Then, for no known reason, Clint Eastwood cancelled and we were left to wait another six months for the film to be released nationwide.

Was it worth the wait. Well, while I've never doubted Eastwood's talents behind the camera (I really liked Absolute Power) there is just something in this film that fails to connect with me.

The story of three childhood friends (Penn, Robbins, Bacon) torn apart as adults after one of them is abducted is intriguing.

Penn is the thug father with a loathsome and heartless wife (Laura Linney), Robbin's is the meek and humble dad with a loving (but totally traitor) wife (Marcia Gay Harden) and Bacon is the investigating Cop who's wife has run away. All of them perform very well, especially Robbin's who has always struggled to shed his 'nice but dim' typecasting. And Eastwood's direction takes its time and builds the story at a deliberate, unrushed pace.

But as soon as Sean Penn's daughter is murdered I lost all sympathy for them. The story falls into darkness as suspicions and tensions mount. Every character gets what they deserve. I had no connection with Marcia Gay Harden at all and her panic and denial at the end is her own fault. Her character was the wife of Tim Robbins' for what appears to be over a decade, she simply would have known her husband wasn't a killer, should never have confided in Sean Penn. Tim Robbins is also to blame for telling lies about how he came home bleeding and shaken.

Sean Penn's character also gets what's coming to him (though it's a bit of a let-down we don't actually see it). He's a bad man and despite his brilliant acting and grief at the loss of his daughter, why on earth would I care about such a despicable man?

Basically, many horrors and tragedies could have been avoided in this story if people just told the truth. Fair enough, there wouldn't BE a story if that were so but the result is a film that I cannot engage with and in the end I just don't care.

The DVD is in great-looking 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. There are 2 extra discs worth of features (one of them is a soundtrack CD) if you can't get enough. I've had my share of this movie. It may have much greatness to it, but I want no more.

It seems like some sort of Lemmings rip-off but I can't for the life of me figure out how to work this game. The instructions do not tell you what you're supposed to do or how to play the game. It just said, 'Krusty's house is filled with rats'.

The gameplay itself is pretty bad. The Krusty character sprite is far too small and the level (the only one I can reach seeing as how I can't get past it) has bland graphics and sound.

Honestly, save your dough for something else. Something that tells you how to play the game.

Kiss of the Dragon is a hyperactive martial arts movie with a heavy European feel. After Jet Li's fans were left disappointed with the fake, CGI-enhanced fighting in Romeo Must Die he decided to go back to practical, hand-to-hand combat with literally no strings attached. KOTD is the perfect excuse for action, with minimal plot and impossible odds.

Basically, Jet Li plays a Chinese cop Lui Jian who travels to Paris to help the police bring a crime boss to justice. But the French police just happen to be heavily, heavily corrupt and kill Mr. Big, framing Lui Jian in the process.

Keen to stay alive, Lui Jian flees the scene, but not before screaming, mad and completely hatstand police inspector Richard (Tcheky Caryo in his typically delirious role) sends just about every hardened police psycho after him. Outrageously outnumbered, Lui Jian prevails and fights his way through swarms and swarms of thugs out for his blood. Using only his hands and feet (and any useful nearby tool) he manages to wipe them all out.

Far-fetched it may be, but action choreographer Cory Yuen shoots it all in the most realistic and stylish way. You really will believe Lui Jian is capable of such an impossible feat, that's how realistic the action is. And all without glamorising guns.

KOTD uses the rule of increasingly mad set-pieces. The first desperate escape through the corridors and passageways of the hotel, the death-defying escape from the Seine Barge and through the tunnels and sewers, the orphanage confrontation and (especially) the final scene in the police station where Lui Jian takes on a dojo full of martial artist police officers, evil twins and finally Inspector Richard. It's all breathtaking stuff and very, very violent. With far too many sanitised PG-13 minded 'action' movies abundant these days KOTD is a breath of hardcore fresh air.

If you like this then I suggest checking out The Transporter. It may be slightly tamer but it's made by the same people (producer Luc Besson, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Cory Yuen) and is also set in France, only with a warmer, more exotic look.

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with a great Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. There are some extras and a commentary if you're into that sort of thing.