As a child I obsessed over superheroes. Before I could even read I was drawn to them, I would play with the action figures without any comprehension of who these characters were or what they represented, I just enjoyed watching these colourful characters teaming up and squaring off, in multiple configurations. That fascination did not fade with age, the superhero has always been one of the purest forms of entertainment…. Read More »
Sundance London Review: Nobody Walks
A film starring likeable personalities such as John Krasinski and Olivia Thirbly can’t be bad right? I mean come on; surely it must have something going for it? Quick answer – No, but please allow me to elaborate. California couple Julie (Rosemarie DeWitt) and Peter (Kransinki) live in their suburban home with Julie’s two children from a previous marriage. Everything seems peachy, but when Julie invites her old friend’s art… Read More »
Sundance London Review: For Ellen
Wannabe rockstar and estranged father Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) meets his ex girlfriend to sign some legal papers that will settle their current financial disputes. However, he quickly discovers that the settlement also includes full custody of their child Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo). Stuck in a motel, with only his lawyer as a friend, Joby must decide if he is willing to give up his right as a father as he… Read More »
UK Box Office: 20/4 – 22/4/2012
A record breaking 17 films were released on UK big screens last weekend. 3 made it in the Top Ten. 1. Battleship (497 sites) W/E: £1,282,091 Total: £6,088,174 2. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (412) W/E: £1,169,235 NEW 3. The Hunger Games (443) W/E: £1,070,787 Total: £21,259,368 4. The Cabin in the Woods (422) W/E: £1,033,533 Total: £3,543,472 5. Titanic 3D (398) W/E: £925,740 Total: £9,919,113 6. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (527) W/E: £772,887 Total: £14,085,303 7. Lockout (333) W/E: £596,500… Read More »
Review: Gone
Director Heitor Dhalia follows suit with another unintelligible thriller that believes it’s far cleverer than it actually is. Couple a fairly brainless, run-of-the-mill script with the teen appeal of Amanda Seyfried, and you’ve got the ingredients for a film aimed solely for the teenage demographic. Jill (Seyfried) becomes paranoid when her sister Molly (Emily Wichersham), goes missing one night, that it’s the same abductor who imprisoned her two years ago. She sets… Read More »
Review: Damsels In Distress
Whit Stillman’s fourth film – his first in 13 years – proved unexpectedly divisive at last year’s London Film Festival. The ‘surprise movie’, it was an unwelcome gift for many – provoking walkouts and leaving a number of disgruntled punters bemused. It might seem bizarre that this seemingly airy, weightless froth could provoke such ire, but Stillman makes films for himself in every way. For many, his hermetically sealed, unique… Read More »
35mm Heroes Podcast Ep#116: Lockout Review
SPACE PRISON!!!!!!!!!! On this week’s 35mm Heroes, Ian takes up the reins as Noel and he take an extended What We Watched section in as they talk about the Marvel Studios movies amongst other things. They then go into 2 trailers for discussion as Cosmopolis and Magic Mike are looked at before the Guy Pearce cheesefest SPACE PRISON actioner Lockout. You can find this week’s episode on all your favourite… Read More »
Weird Feature – The Strange Synthesis of Bubba Ho-Tep
This is my second feature article on the all-media movement known as The Weird. For over a century, artists of all stripes have left the beaten paths of genre convention and audience expectation to create fiction of a strange and wonderful kind. Meanwhile, over the last couple of years, my love for this fiction has grown out of all proportion. Rather than let it get too unmanageable, I have decided… Read More »
Five of modern cinema’s most extreme scenes
**WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS FOR OVER 18s ONLY** CINEMA is littered with memorable, stomach-churning scenes of violence. Take a glance into the annals of movie-making and the examples are there for all to see. From the moment Dustin Hoffman snaps in Straw Dogs to a plethora of scenes in Quentin Tarantino flicks, movie-goers with an insatiable lust for blood have plenty to satisfy them. Over the past 20-odd years it’s… Read More »
Asia7070: Princess Iron Fan (1941)
Dan continues his look at 70 years of Asian cinema with the 1941 Chinese film Princess Iron Fan, the first animated feature ever made in the East. PRINCESS IRON FAN Wan Guchan/Wan Laiming, 1941, China While there is little doubt that the time, effort and money that it took to produce Princess Iron Fan ultimately paid off, it’s hard to think of a worse time in the history of Chinese… Read More »
