Review of Burke & Hare (1972) by Liz B — 27 Oct 2010

We got a few laughs but this is definitely a dark film, not a straight-up comedy. Jessica Hynes was one of the best performers, while veterans like Tom Wilkinson and Tim Curry did admirable turns. It was fun to catch the cameos (Christopher Lee, Stephen Merchant, etc.), and in some cases actors were so well-camoflaged (Bill Bailey) that we didn't recognize them right away. Andy Serkis was very convincing, and so was Simon Pegg- he can virtually do no wrong in our book, though his performance felt restrained. Isla Fisher kind of phones it in, since as usual she comes across playing the same sort of role...I kind of don't feel she deserves such a high billing in the credits, but I guess she's more of a "name" currently than Jessica Hynes.

This film has its gruesome moments and it's definitely not for the faint of heart (or stomach)...maybe not the best movie I've seen all year, but enjoyable and good fun for a spooky Halloween flick on a wet, windy night in Edinburgh (where the whole story is set).