Fantastic Fest Review: Unidentified Objects
There’s something inherently American about a road movie. It probably has something to do with the distance between cities and a national obsession with the automobile. The same can be said for the ‘buddy movie’. Throwing two disparate souls together within the parameters of a joint quest. Trapped within a hulk of metal with only …
Fantastic Fest Review: Lynch/Oz
It may not have seemed likely at the time, but when The Wizard of Oz was introduced to the world in 1939 it would go on to form one of the cornerstones of American cinema. While Victor Fleming’s film may have had a troubled production, it went on to inspire countless other filmmakers. However, although …
Blu-Ray Review: Hearts and Minds
The Vietnam War was one of the lowest points in post-war US history, and there is stiff competition for that title. The USSR and America spent almost twenty years waging a proxy war in south east Asia. For a country renowned for its patriotism and nationalism, it proved to be a highly contentious conflict at …
Blu-Ray Review: The Great Dictator
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Today, if you watch any of the rallies Hitler addressed it’s easy to see how dangerous he was or would become. At the same time, he comes across as a raving madman. He exhibited a style of delivery and a espoused a form of dogma which characterises most despots. It …
Fantastic Fest Review: Attachment
When we talk about mythology, it’s usually around the ancient Greeks or Romans. However, while much of it might have disappeared from modern religions, the major ones have a much greater connection with the supernatural than you’d expect. Judaism is a prime example of where a belief system has changed and yet many in the …
Fantastic Fest Review: A Life on the Farm
There was a time, not too long ago, when farming was seen as a vocation where good honest toil, a bit of luck, and fair weather would set a man up for life. It’s a backbreaking job, with long hours and no days off, but there’s something inherently satisfying about growing something with your own …
Fantastic Fest Review: Country Gold
The country music scene is, in a way, a microcosm of the wider industry, but is so distinct it’s basically a separate entity. While it originated in the 1920s from the music of working-class America, today it’s a huge multi-billion-dollar money-making machine. Now in its sixth generation, while the landscape has changed in many ways …
Fantastic Fest Review: Mister Organ
As the saying goes, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This is what happens in the best documentaries. Those films which start out as one thing and suddenly morph into an entirely different animal. Which defy expectations. These are the rare gems which take an audience on a journey. In 2016, Tickled did precisely that. …
Fantastic Fest Review: Everyone Will Burn
Children are scary. Small versions of adult people who seem to have total confidence in their approach of constantly asking questions. They seem to know too much. They probably do. The concept of an ‘evil’ child has been used well in genre cinema. Whether that’s Damien in The Omen, the twins in The Shining or …
Film Review: My Imaginary Country
Like much of South America, Chile has had a difficult, complicated and rather dark history. It’s also a rich and vibrant country. Evidence of settlements date back over 10,000 years, but despite resisting the Incas the Spanish were just too much for the indigenous peoples. The 19th century saw independence from colonial rule, leading to …