We’re all pretty damned excited about the imminent release of X-Men: First Class, so as an homage to Professor Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr we have chosen the theme of “rivalry” for our ESLF Staff Miscellany this month. Bradley Porter – Amadeus Salieri doesn’t see Mozart as an enemy. It’s not as black and white as that. No, to Salieri, Mozart represents of a direct punishment from God. What he… Read More »

Gus Van Sant is such a hit or miss director, varying wildly from fantastic films like Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho to the pointless Psycho remake and the misguided Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, thankfully To Die For fits into the former category and remains one of his strongest and most successful films that manages to hold up even after 16 years and repeated viewings. Nicole Kidman stars… Read More »

Despite receiving mixed reviews and failing dismally at the box office upon its initial release, Strange Days remains my personal favourite of Kathryn Bigelow’s movies. Even though I cannot deny the charms of Near Dark or Point Break (and I LOVE Point Break) there’s something so remarkable about this cyberpunk vision of the near future that it gives Strange Days the slight edge over Bigelow’s better known and better received… Read More »

Naked is my favourite Mike Leigh film (with Meantime coming in a close second) and not least because of a fantastic, career defining performance from David Thewlis as the vitriolic misanthrope Johnny, the unlikely anti-hero of the film. Given Leigh’s famous approach to filmmaking; starting without a script and instead developing through a series of rehearsals and improvisations with the actors all the more credit is due to Thewlis, who… Read More »

Welcome to a brand new monthly feature here at Eat Sleep Live Film! On the first week of each month we will be bringing you a selection of staff picks on the subject of a specific theme, genre, or just whatever takes our fancy. This month in celebration of the much anticipated directorial debut from Joe Cornish, Attack the Block (you can read my review here), we have carefully selected… Read More »

A 28-minute short film that manages to encapsulate so much meaning and gravitas within such a short period of time that it has gone on to influence an entire generation of filmmakers. Set in Paris in the aftermath of World War 3, the survivors having been forced underground due to high levels of radiation on the surface. The film centres on a prisoner who has been chosen to undergo scientific… Read More »

Attack the Block is the directorial debut from Joe Cornish, best known in the UK as one half of Adam and Joe, the comedy duo responsible for cult favourite, The Adam and Joe Show, a late night sketch show that aired on Channel 4 in the late 90′s. Clearly all of those animated re-enactments of his favourite films using stuffed toys and Star Wars action figures paid off because this is a confident and assured film that is… Read More »

I should probably start this review with some kind of disclaimer: I am not the intended audience for this film, I have almost zero interest in superhero movies and I haven’t enjoyed any of the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films so far (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk). But, having gone in with zero expectations and knowing nothing about the Thor comic books, I actually quite liked it…. Read More »

Not all girls want to play with dolls. Welcome to the Dollhouse is in my opinion Todd Solondz’s best film and, although I enjoyed how excruciating Happiness was, he has never really come close to making anything as good since. Welcome to the Dollhouse perfectly encapsulates the misery of pre-pubescence without the nostalgic gloss of many other films about the experience of childhood. The rather unfortunately named Dawn Wiener (Heather… Read More »

I absolutely love John Waters, our self-proclaimed “Filth Elder”, even though at times he himself is perhaps more interesting and funny than the films he makes, which can be incredibly hit or miss but are never completely without merit. I have decided to single out Cry-Baby to discuss here as it is my favourite (with Serial Mom a close second), but I am a massive fan the trash films from… Read More »