Film
Film Review: Impetigore
Catered for in the UK by Tartan Films (RIP), the turn of the century saw an explosion of Asian cinema across our shores. Whilst this new wave spanned a number of genres, it was perhaps in horror where the region has made the most significant impact. Whilst Japan and Korea initially led the way, film-making …
DVD Review: The Assistant
Whilst the outcry following the revelations surrounding Harvey Weinstein started a new debate about the treatment of women in Hollywood, his crimes are only the tip of an iceberg. Powerful men have been abusing women and girls for as long as the film industry has existed. At the extreme end this is sexual and physical, …
Blu-Ray Review: Three Outlaw Samurai
In many ways, the western and samurai genres are often intrinsically linked. Indeed, tales of wandering Ronin and revenge didn’t become popular in Japan until after American boots were occupying the land of the rising sun. By far and away the most famous example of this symmetry is the Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven film. A …
Film Review: Ghosts of War
Not all filmmakers are prolific. In fact, quite a few create an exciting debut and then suddenly disappear (seemingly) off the face of the Earth. To a large extent, this was the case with Eric Bress. In 2004, he released his first film, The Butterfly Effect. It was critically maligned but commercially successful. However, in …
Film Review: Saint Frances
Hollywood hasn’t exactly been progressive at addressing social issues over the years. Especially not those which impact directly on women. Indeed, since the inception of cinema the prevailing focus has consistently been on the male gaze. That is thankfully beginning to change as the industry finally opens its door to increasingly diverse voices; who bring …
Film Review: Clemency
At the time of writing, capital punishment is legal in twenty-eight states of America, but who knows how many this will be by November? The ‘Land of the Free’ is the only Western country where the death penalty is regularly enforced. There’s seems to be little appetite to change this on either side of the …
Film Review: Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles
Whilst today, Luis Buñuel is a household name for cinephiles and Spanish film fans alike, this wasn’t always the case. After the controversy surrounding his feature debut, L’Age d’Or, the filmmaker struggled to find work after returning to Spain. No one was willing to finance him, but when he was approached with an offer of …
Film Review: Disappearance at Clifton Hill
There’s nothing quite like a good mystery to set pulses racing and brains whirring. Indeed, some of the most compelling cinema is created when the main protagonist is kept in the dark. We begin to root for them. Follow them as they try to connect the dots, searching for the truth vicariously through their actions. …
Film Review: The Beach House
The unknown can be scary. As humans, we are programmed to look for, even demand, explanation. When it’s not forthcoming, it can leave us with a hollow uncertainty. There’s a fine balance within storytelling between mystery and contrivance. Often, as much of the work of H.P. Lovecraft attests, ambiguity can leave the longest lasting impression. …
Film Review: Spaceship Earth
With the success of SpaceX and a renewed global commitment to go ‘back to the stars’, people are beginning to dream again about the prospect colonising another planet. One of the biggest challenges, if ever reach Mars, will be how we will survive in such an inhospitable environment. The logical solution would be to build …