Film
Fantasia Festival Review: Kriya
When most people think about the cinema of India, thoughts naturally turn to Bollywood. Whilst the all singing, all dancing Hindi film industry is something of a corporate juggernaut, there’s a thriving independent cinema sector which struggles to make its voice heard. However, over the last couple of years we’re beginning to see Indian directors …
Fantasia Festival Review: Special Actors
Of all the countries in the world it’s probably Japan which most regularly creates the most unusual, odd and unlikely cinema. It does seem to be a fertile breeding ground for filmmakers, leading to some of the wackiest and imaginative films you’re likely to see. This was the case with One Cut of the Dead. …
Fantasia Festival Review: Unearth
Whilst fracking is hugely controversial in countries such as the UK, it’s far more prevalent and accepted in America. Indeed, Hydraulic fracturing has been a part of oil and natural gas extraction in the US since the post-war period. Today, it’s a huge industry and, despite record low prices, there’s still a rapacious demand for …
Film Review: Away
Whilst the world of animation can sometimes feel like it’s dominated by a mix of Disney/Pixar et al and a number of Asian studios, there is some fine work coming out of Europe. Most notably from Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon (Song of the Sea/The Breadwinner), UK’s Aardman Animations (Early Man/Arthur Christmas) and a number of French …
Fantasia Festival Review: You Cannot Kill David Arquette
Hollywood lore is littered with tales of famous actors who went off the rails. It’s an industry which encourages egos and nurtures narcissism. The curse of celebrity can be a high price to pay for becoming a film star. David Arquette came through in the same generation as the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew …
Fantasia Festival Review: Detention
Between 1949 and 1987 there was a period of political oppression in Taiwan which was dubbed the ‘White Terror’. This span of marital law saw a continuous crackdown on freedom of speech and literature which promoted ‘dangerous ideals’. Over one hundred thousand Taiwanese and Chinese immigrants were imprisoned during this time. Schools and universities were …
Fantasia Festival Review: The Oak Room
There’s no way of actually knowing how far Storytelling dates back through human history, but it’s a fair bet that ever since homo-sapiens could speak that oral traditions have existed. Predating writing, it’s the way families, communities and societies has imparted knowledge between generations down through ages. It remains, to this day, the main way …
Film Review: She Dies Tomorrow
It doesn’t take much to trigger an existential crisis for some people. The mere hint of a problem or potential issue can cause them to spiral out of control or descend into a fug. If you’re naturally anxious or worried, this year probably isn’t the best year for you. We seem to be in an …
Fantasia Festival Review: The Prophet and the Space Aliens
There are thousands upon thousands of religions out there in the world. So many, in fact, that no one can really keep track of them. Many are suspiciously similar and feel like variations on a theme rather than independent belief systems. Whilst others might sound more outlandish, we’ve become accustomed to accepting the (rather unlikely) …
Blu-Ray Review: Taste of Cherry
They say cinema flourishes in adversity and nowhere is that more apparent than in Iran. Since the revolution in 1979, the now Islamic republic has produced some of the best cinema in the world. It’s a remarkable accomplishment under often severe restrictions. Arguably the greatest director of this era was the late Abbas Kiarostami. Whilst …