DVD Review: I Am Belfast
Mark Cousins’ love and devotion to film is unquestionable. Cinephile, film maker and occasional critic’s, his greatest work to date is the 15-hour opus The Story of Film: An Odyssey. Subsequently, he’s been involved with several other low budget projects with The Story of Children and Film being the most commercially, and critically, successful. In …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: In Pursuit of Silence
Our senses are bombarded on an daily basis. Walk around any city or large town and you’ll be assailed by loud noise; traffic, music, talking and much more. We’re increasingly plugged in to the technological era, often blanking out the background noise with personal media devices. Silence, which was traditionally revered and much sought-after, is …
DVD Review: Heart of a Dog
Since the late 1960s Laurie Anderson has been busily creating and crafting her performance art and experimental music. The electronic pioneer is probably still best known for her single O Superman which brought her chart success in 1981. However, she’s been active across the cultural spectrum, from film-making to music and art. She’s remained prolific …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Author: The JT LeRoy Story
JT LeRoy was born in West Virginia in 1980. Coming from a background of drug addiction, abuse and vagrancy, LeRoy’s story is a troubled one. In 1994 the self-styled ‘Terminator’ reached out to novelists and shared his writings. His first novel, Sarah, sparked a literary sensation and was swifty followed by The Heart is Deceitful …
Blu-ray Review: Here Comes Mr Jordan (Criterion Collection)
The story of defying death and getting the chance to start over is one which has fascinated audiences since the introduction of talking films. Whilst the subject has been covered extensively, most notably in A Matter of Life and Death and Heaven Can Wait, the first film to consider this storyline was released by Columbia …
Film Review: Cemetery of Splendour
The distance between the living and the dead can sometimes be negligible and the lines between waking life and dreaming occasionally blur. The belief in our connection to the spirit world is something which has been part of religions, cultures and personal beliefs for centuries. In his new film, Cemetery of Splendour, Apichatpong Weerasethakul mixes …
Incoming: Tale of Tales
Inspired by the celebrated fairytales by Giambattista Basile, Matteo Garrone’s Tale of Tales is an epic vision of cinema. From the bitter quest of the Queen of Longtrellis (Salma Hayek) who forfeits the life of her husband (John C. Reilly), to two mysterious sisters who provoke the passion of the King of Strongcliff (Vincent Cassel), …
DVD Review: That Cold Day in the Park (Masters of Cinema)
Whilst Robert Altman has built himself a reputation as one of the greatest modern American directors it took a lot of toil and frustration before he got into the film industry. Whilst he’s best known for the likes of Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Player or M.A.S.H, he spent years working in TV and …
DVD Review: Too Late for Tears
Throughout history there have been stories of people whose lives have been blighted by an obsession with being rich. As the popular saying goes, money is the route to all evil. Cinema is littered with tales of those whose insatiable need to accumulate more and more money drives them to increasingly desperate lengths. In Byron …
Film Festival Preview: East End Film Festival 2016
The East End Film Festival is a large multi-platform film festival which showcases a diverse programme of premières, hosts industry masterclasses, free pop-up screenings and immersive live events. The schedule is packed full of an eclectic array of the best new independent films from around the world, showcasing over 50 features and a wealth of …