Film Review: Collective
Since the fall of the Ceaușescu regime in 1989, Romania has struggled to mirror the democratic countries to its west. Corruption has been rife and has wheedled its way into most aspects of everyday life. This has caused consternation within the European Commission and led to a number of demonstrations and reforms to tackle the …
Film Review: The Nest
Whilst she might have starred in a number of great TV shows, Carrie Coon remains one of the least recognisable great American actors. Coming late to the industry by way of the stage, the Ohioan has made a huge impression in just a short period of time. Most viewers will recognise her from roles in …
Blu-ray Review: La Haine
Paris, the City of Lights. The most romantic place in the world. When you visit the French capital you mostly see the dream. Travel out of the city into some of the more dubious suburbs and you’re in for a shock. The poorest Banlieues are sometimes little better than ghettos, their residents often face segregation, …
Tallinn Black Nights Review: Enfant Terrible
As the saying goes, the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long. That was certainly the case with one of Germany’s greatest film directors. Rainer Werner Fassbinder made his first feature film in 1969 at the age of twenty-four. Thirteen years and Twenty-two films later, he was found dead in his room. …
Tallinn Black Nights Review: Exemplary Behaviour
Whilst the last resort for the most serious crimes in civilised countries is life imprisonment, that doesn’t mean to say that the bad guys always get their comeuppance. Or if they do, the sentence they deserve. And even if they do face incarceration, they can often halve their time behind bars for ‘good behaviour’. Whilst …
Blu-Ray Review: Mothra
Ever since we abandoned our caves, humans have apparently been fascinated by stories of exotic monsters and fantastic beasts. Whilst today, mass global travel and the internet means that these myths and legends have been roundly debunked, that doesn’t mean that enthusiasm for the unknown has waned. Stories of the Yeti, Nessie or Bigfoot still …
Blu-Ray Review: Five Easy Pieces
During the 1970s, there were a number of great American actors who both captivated cinema audiences and won a string of awards. Jack Nicholson was up there at, or near, the top. There are few who could claim to have had a stronger decade than the New Jerseyan. The likes of One Flew Over the …
Blu-Ray Review: Late Phases
Tales of a werewolf or a wolfman have been part of folklore of European since Medieval times. Indeed, these cursed shapeshifters appeared in historical texts long before then. They’re also a staple of genre cinema, with the likes of An American Werewolf in London, Ginger Snaps and The Howling all held in high regard by …
Blu-Ray Review: Dawn of the Dead
Today, zombies are prevalent in just about every aspect of popular culture. However, whilst shows such as The Walking Dead cemented their place in the mainstream, this hasn’t always been the case. Indeed, whilst they’ve been a feature of genre cinema since Victor Halperin’s White Zombie in 1932, it was George A. Romero’s original trilogy …
IDFA 2020 Preview
The International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world’s largest documentary film festival. Despite the closure of theatres in the Netherlands for the early part of November, there will be a mix of in-person and virtual screenings this year; with the industry program taking place entirely online. The festival takes place between 18 November and …