Film
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Jumbo
In the 21st century, love and sex come in countless shapes and sizes. Whilst many traditional cultures still adhere strictly to a marriage between a man and a ‘woman’, which is consummated on the wedding night, this is no longer the norm. Indeed, my friend tells me that a quick search on the internet will …
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Father
In order to successfully make a point, it’s often necessary to frame it within a story. Storytelling has been used from the time of early cave-dwellers for a number of different purposes. For example, parables in the Bible or Aesop’s Fables are used as forms of instructional, cautionary or morality tales. In Srdan Golubovic’s new …
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Murmur
More than any other time in modern history, people around the world are realising just how important animals are in our lives. Pets play a huge part in improving wellbeing, tackling anxiety and calming nervousness. We’re increasingly living more isolated lifestyles and whilst we might connect with others online, it’s not the same as that …
Glasgow Film Festival Review: In the Shadows
It doesn’t matter how much developed nations progress. How far science and technology drive any given society forward. Whilst capitalism exists in its current form, the rich will always get richer, the poor will always get poorer. Any cost-saving measures or industrial innovations come at the expense of jobs. Reduced prices for increasingly fragile labour …
Film Review: Sophie Jones
Coming-of-age/teen movies come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the major stumbling blocks filmmakers often run up against is authenticity. It doesn’t help that so many productions fill their cast with twenty-somethings playing characters often ten years their junior. Hollywood, in particular, often falls foul of this trap and prioritises style over substance. …
Film Review: The Dissident
Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist who worked for the Washington post. He fled his homeland into self-imposed exile in 2017 following Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s crackdown on political critics. He continued to hold the government to account from his new home in America, but became increasingly outspoken against the oppression of freedom of …
Blu-ray Review: Restless Natives
The 1980s was undoubtedly one of the greatest periods for Scottish cinema. Thanks largely to the genius of Bill Forsyth, who was responsible for Gregory’s Girl, Comfort & Joy, Housekeeping and Local Hero, much of the best British cinema during the decade came from north of the border. There was a youthful naivety and fresh-faced …
Film Review: Wrong Turn (2021)
One of the most dispiriting trends within Hollywood is that of the remake, reboot, reimagining, rehash or, as a like to call in, cynical cash-grab. Most of which are pathetic. Whether that’s remaking ‘foreign’ films for those who refuse to read subtitles or rebooting a successful film a few years later in order to extract …
Blu-Ray Review: State Secret
Douglas Fairbanks made his name in silent cinema for a number of swashbuckling roles, including Robin Hood, The Mark of Zorro and The Thief of Baghdad. His son, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., was in many ways a chip off the old block. However, whilst being cast in several action roles, including The Fighting O’Flynn, much of …
Blu-Ray Review: Demons 1 & 2
Dario Argento was hugely influential on Italian horror cinema throughout the 1970s and 1980s. As well as being responsible for some of the most iconic and exciting genre movies of that era, he was also instrumental in helping many of his fellow countryman. One such recipient was Lamberto Bava, son of Mario, who he collaborated …