Film Festival
LFF Review: The Perfect Candidate
Despite being classed as a friendly nation (aka arms and oil) by most of the Western world, Saudi Arabia has a truly appalling human rights record. Whist the rather Biblical system of justice may attract the headlines it’s the truly archaic treatment of women which is arguably the hardest pill to swallow. Admittedly, things have …
Grimmfest Review: Rabid
David Cronenberg will forever have a unique place is genre cinema. The Canadian made his name making intelligent, visceral and challenging horror and science fiction films. More often than not, that took the form of body horror with a political and/or fantasy edge. These included The Fly, Videodrome and Shivers. One of his best films …
LFF Review: Zombi Child
Whilst the debate around streaming versus cinema shows no sign of abating anytime soon, it’s clear that the likes of Netflix have the advantage of numbers. The ability to reach a wide audience is one of the major perks for directors choosing this platform. Bertrand Bonello’s 2016 film Nocturama was bought by the streaming giant …
LFF Review: My Extraordinary Summer with Tess
There’s something rather reassuringly nostalgic and heart-warming about your first love., especially a holiday romance. If you’re of my generation, then the British seaside was the most likely location for any innocent childhood tryst. Mine was in Bognor Regis. There’s a moment growing up when girls and boys stop being yucky and smelly and become …
Grimmfest Review: 1BR
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find affordable and decent accommodation in most major cities in the Western world. The more popular the city, the more difficult it gets. If you’re looking for a nice, central and affordable apartment in say London, San Francisco or Tokyo, you may as well forget it. It’s no better …
LFF Review: The Prince’s Voyage
There was a time when films aimed at children were mainly concerned with adventure, discovery and instilling a feeling of awe and wonder on young minds. This has been primarily achieved through the medium of animation, whether that’s Disney, Ghibli or film-makers such as Karel Zeman. Whilst animation and anime continue to dominate children’s cinema, …
LFF Review: Sid & Judy
There can be few, if any, more famous child stars than Judy Garland. Her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz captivated several generations of children. She went on to have a career which spanned 45 years, but nothing ever quite reached the same heights. However, despite many setbacks she went on to star …
LFF Film Review: Hope Frozen
I can’t imagine what it must be like for parents to lose a child. Especially at a young age. Childhood diseases can be debilitating for young bodies but the stress and torment it must places on a family must be almost overwhelming. It must be incredibly hard to move on with your life. Hope Frozen, …
Grimmfest Review: Dead Dicks
One-in-five adults in the US experience mental ill health. It’s an incredibly debilitating illness to deal with but even harder to watch a loved one battle through it whilst you stand by feeling helpless. Anything can trigger these feelings of worthlessness, loneliness and useless, but depression and anxiety often stem back to one particular event. …
LFF Review: Premature
In spite of recent improvements, American cinema largely remains the domain of privileged white men. Therefore, the stories we’re told usually reflect this disparity. Whilst female voices are finally being heard and given financial support, the same can’t really be said for Black, Hispanic or Asian film-makers. Their histories are often co-opted by someone else. …