Blu-ray Review: Breeder
Dating back to the great civilisation of Mesopotamia and documented in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the elixir of life has continually occupied the minds of man. The goal of harnessing natural life and outsmarting Death has driven men to commit some of history’s worst atrocities. This ‘Holy Grail’ has featured widely in popular culture, probably …
Blu-Ray Review: Charade
Audrey Hepburn is one of the most recognisable faces to ever grace the big screen. The elfin Brit is as well known for being a Hollywood heartthrob as she is for her abilities in front of the camera, which is incredibly unfair. While her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s remains her most …
Film Review: Sator
Today’s mainstream studio-driven genre cinema seems to oscillate between tired and derivative franchise fare and big budget slick and stylish overly long ‘elevated horror’. There’s a huge dearth in creativity, imagination or originality, but this is what cinema audiences seem to want. Poke a little deeper and you’ll find a hugely diverse, fresh and vibrant …
Film Review: The Night
Iran has a long and glorious reputation for producing world-class cinema, regardless of the state censorship that has been an impediment for decades. Despite all this, the Middle-Eastern country has made a raft of award-winning films throughout the twenty-first century. We’re starting to see top-quality genre cinema, in Farsi, from the Persian diaspora around the …
Film Review: Slalom
As we have seen on many occasions over the last few decades, the relationship between coach and athlete can readily be abused. Parents give their children into the hands of professionals on the understanding that they will act as responsible adults for the duration of their guardianship. In extreme cases, such as the Larry Nassar …
IFFR Review: Bebia, à mon seul désir
For a species with a limited shelf life, we spend a bizarre amount of time thinking about death. Since early man we’ve surrounded our exit from the mortal coil with rituals and rites. Indeed, the ancient Egyptians seem to have built many of their pyramids with the intention of using them to fire the dead …
IFFR Review: The Year Before the War
The second decade of the Twentieth Century was a turbulent, exciting period and a time of huge scientific, social, political and economic change. On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated Sarajevo. This would provide the catalyst for the culmination of decades of militarism, sparking the outbreak of …
IFFR Review: Liborio
Since the rise of ancient civilisations, humans have sought solace and instruction through religion. The concept of a God or gods seems to have sprung-up independently at all points of the compass. Whether these are supernatural, preternatural or merely other, they are a reflection of the people who offer them up for worship. There’s usually …
IFFR Review: Drifting
Hong Kong has long been an anomaly in Asia, largely owing to the hundred-year lease Britain obtained on the colony following the Opium Wars. After the Second World War the population rapidly increased. Given both the Eastern and Western influences and different political tensions and ideologies, it became the economic hub of the region. However, …
IFFR Review: La nuit des rois
Storytelling has played a vital role within communities and societies since humans first invented spoken languages. Predating writing, it’s the way that we’ve been able to pass on our histories, myths, legends and religions from generation to generation. These oral traditions have been vital for the evolution of our species. It still plays a huge …