Film Review: Initiation

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Blu-Ray Review: Carla’s Song

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Film Review: Zana

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Whilst the Black Lives Matter protests rapidly spread across the whole of America in early 2020, they weren’t just limited to one country. The situation within the US is undeniably unique, but in many ways it’s also a reflection of race relations in many places around the world. Much of Europe, with a history of …

While America has Hollywood and India has Bollywood, Turkey contents itself with Yeşilçam. Between the 1950s and 1970s (known as the Yeşilçam era) it was churning out hundreds of films every year, often looking to the West for inspiration. This golden period produced an eclectic mix of styles and genres, including a slew on B-movies; …

Mary Shelley, nee Wollstonecraft, knew what it’s like to be a woman scorned. For decades she was considered just a bit player in a group which included husband Percy and Lord Byron, often also overshadowed by her parents (William Godwin & Mary Wollstonecraft). Even after writing Frankenstein, she was constantly undermined by questions over its …

Dating back to Greek antiquity, the myth of Orpheus has captivated generations of writers and creatives. As one of the only heroes to visit the underworld and return to tell his tale, he’s part of a small and distinguished group. His stories have inspired filmmakers, most notably Marcel Camus for Black Orpheus and Jean Cocteau’s …

If you’re born in the UK, it’s easy to have the mistaken belief that class plays a much greater part in our society than anywhere else. Whilst this might once have been the case, it’s a huge factor in determining socio-economic success in most places around the world, one way or another. Japan, like many …

Gerard Butler is possibly one of the least likely action heroes. Firstly, Hollywood blockbusters aren’t exactly normally the province of a leading Scotsman. Indeed, you’re more like to get Mel Gibson or Christopher Lambert murdering a Scottish accent. Then, there’s the fact he graduated from law school, which marks him out as someone a bit …

“If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire…the A-Team”. Or at least ‘a team’. This ‘gang’ formula is an almost sure-fire cinematic gold in many ways. Take the Mission Impossible franchise, for example. If Ethan Hunt was all alone, it simply wouldn’t …

Following the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X, the FBI turned its full attention to The Black Panther Party. Whilst Director J. Edgar Hoover described them as ‘the greatest threat to the internal security of the country’, much of their activities were focussed on community social programs. However, as the end of …

Whilst the popularity of Westerns may have been on the wane for a long time, filmmakers still seem fascinated by this period of American history. The excitement and danger of exploration. The pioneering lifestyle. Traditionally, this has been an almost all male province, with women often relegated to merely wives or prostitutes. However, only we’re …

Cinema serves many functions, but escapism is definitely high up there on the list. To bring an audience together in a darkened room and then make them forget their troubles for a couple of hours, is a precious and priceless thing. As with literature, science fiction and fantasy have proved to be perennial favourites. The …