Film
Raindance Review: Nafi’s Father
The European colonisation of Africa wreaked a scale of damage on the continent from which it may never recover. Africans were exploited and killed for precious natural and human resources. Whilst independence should have given countries a new start, most soon fell foul of corruption, civil war and a form of economic exploitation. Whilst the …
Raindance Review: He Dreams of Giants
If you were a studio head looking for a director to deliver a film on time and to budget, the last man on earth you’d turn to is Terry Gilliam. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is considered to be one of the biggest flops in the history of cinema. The former ‘Python’ has been trying …
Film Review: Song Without a Name
Given the turbulent nature of South American politics, it’s unsurprising that so much of the continent’s national cinema focuses on social injustice. During the Franco era in Spain and the Pinochet era in Chile, there were many documented cases of child trafficking. Whilst not as well known, there were similar crimes being committed during the …
Raindance Film Festival 2020 Preview
The 28th Raindance Film Festival takes place between 28 October and 7 November. This year’s showcase of some of the best of UK and international independent film will be a hybrid of select live events and an extensive virtual platform. The festival is a hotbed of creativity and talent, but as well as an industry …
Blu-ray Review: Jeepers Creepers
There’s nothing genre fans seem to love more than a franchise. The bigger, the better. It all started in the 1980s during horror’s golden age. The likes of Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th and Halloween’s popularity resulted in what a cynic might term as ‘cashing in’. Suffice to say, these sequels and prequels are, …
Film Review: A Call to Spy
It should go without saying, but when it comes to wars, terrorism and conflicts intelligence is key. Good intel is often the difference between victory or defeat. The difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of people. The role Bletchley Park played in the Allies winning World War II is well-documented, but the …
Film Review: Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins
The state of politics across the world is probably at its most lamentable levels since World War II. To say that it’s a profession which is currently attracting intellectuals would be like saying that fish have dire need of more hats. However, not far behind is the noble journalist; a mix of untalented grafter and …
Film Review: Dog Soldiers
There was a period during the first decade of the new century that Neil Marshall was the great hope of British genre cinema. With the release of The Descent back in 2005 it seemed like he could do no wrong and Hollywood beckoned. However, the relative disappointment of his follow ups, Doomsday and Centurion, meant …
Film Review: Honest Thief
Liam Neeson is not a man you want to get on the wrong side of. Despite being almost seventy, the Northern Irish actor seems to attract trouble. If Eastern Europeans aren’t kidnapping his wife or daughter then he’s stopping terrorists, wrestling wolves or snowplowing his way to revenge. Over the last decade he has become …
Film Review – Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful
There are many kinds of artists and there are many kinds of photographers, but there are few who pushed the limits of acceptability quite like Helmut Newton. The German-Australian visual pioneer became famous for his provocative and sexually charged photography, which graced the pages of magazines such of Vogue. His work was controversial and debate …