Film Festival
LFF Review: The Antenna
The Western world has long been suspicious of Muslim countries and their often-fanatical leaders. Radical Islam and liberal democratic values do not sit hand in hand. Turkey has long been seen as a friendly nation, particularly by the US and UK. One which has been regularly called upon to support ‘the war on terror’ in …
LFF Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon
There’s probably no actor more derided in modern cinema than Shia LaBeouf. After getting his big break in Transformers, there were a few signs that he might be a future star. However, LaBeouf’s career quickly went downhill and he became somewhat of a sad parody of himself. This included rampant plagiarism, public disorder offences and …
Grimmfest Review: Tales from the Lodge
Whilst portmanteau horror films were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, largely due to the work of Abacus, it’s not until fairly recently that there’s been a resurgence. Along the way we’ve seen the occasional highlight (most notably Creepshow), but it was arguably the release of VHS which sparked something of a comeback for the …
LFF Review: Transnistra
Whether it’s because of the collapse of the USSR and the communism of the Eastern Bloc, or a hangover from World War II, much of the internal and local politics of Eastern Europe is a mystery to many. Whilst many nations have regained independence, other claims have been suppressed, ignored or put on hold. Old …
Grimmfest Review: She Never Died
Without much fanfare, He Never Died became one of the most intelligent and interesting independent horror films of 2016 (in the UK). Jason Krawczyk’s film cast the enigmatic Henry Rollins as the reluctant cannibal who has to save his daughter whilst trying not to eat anyone. He also written the screenplay for the sequel, She …
LFF Review: Ghost Town Anthology
Canada is often overshadowed by its loud, brash and sometimes obnoxious southerly neighbour. This is definitely the case when it comes to film. Whilst there’s nothing like Hollywood in the land of maple syrup, independent cinema has often flourished. It’s easy to forget that although English is the national language, French is spoken widely in …
LFF Review: The Unknown Saint
Nothing does dark and sardonic quite like the human imagination. We, as a species, are fatally flawed. We build societies and communities which are inherently unfair, then complain about it. We make bureaucratic processes so complex that they become virtually impossible to navigate. Almost Kafkaesque, you could say. Indeed, there’s something so delightfully fun about …
Grimmfest 2019 Preview
Now in its eleventh year, Grimmfest has quickly cemented its place on the UK horror film festival map. This year’s festival takes place at Odeon Manchester Great Northern between 3rd and 6th October. There’s an impressive combination of features and shorts on show with 2019’s line-up being unquestionably the strongest yet. We’ve scrutinised the digital …
BFI London Film Festival 2019 Preview
The 63rd BFI London Film Festival takes place in cinemas across the capital between 2-13 October. It’s the UK’s premier showcase of the most exciting new cinema from around the world. This year sees a firm focus on innovative directors, with a competition boasting extraordinary visions. Featuring 229 feature films, including numerous premieres, and 116 …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: The Fable
Japan is unique in the way that manga is integrated and enshrined in its culture. Whilst comics fill the shelves of stores, anime floods onto TV screens. Children are brought up on both and this fascination carries on into adulthood. Japanese cinema mirrors this love affair. However, popularity and quality do not regularly go hand …