Film Review: Looted
Whilst the Tory government’s destruction of traditional industries during the 1980s was arguably just speeding-up the inevitable, it left scars which are still evidence in today’s Britain. Communities which have never really recovered, leaving towns and cities to decay. The traditional industrial heartland of the north of England was badly hit. With the decline of …
Film Review: Luxor
Whilst she might not be instantly recognisable to many, Andrea Riseborough is one of the most talented young British actors working in films and television today. Indeed, she seems to look different in just about every role she takes on. Her versatility is her strength, from playing Maggie Thatcher to brilliant performances in Shadow Dancer, …
Raindance Review: My Thoughts Are Silent
Ukraine, as a country, is often overshadowed by the behemoth on its eastern border. As the second largest country in what was the Soviet Union, it’s territory far outstrips its population or global influence. The same can be said about its cinema. Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukrainian filmmakers have struggled to get their voices …
Blu-ray Review: Gemini
Japan is home to the weird, the wonderful and the worrying. It’s probably no surprise that such a traditionally rigid and regimented society has proved to be a catalyst for some of the most creative and audacious art. When it comes to the extreme and the imaginative, very few directors can match Shinya Tsukamoto. Most …
Raindance Review: Survival Skills
There’s no genre of film quite like horror when it comes to obsessive fans. There’s equally nothing quite like their love for all things retro in any other sphere of filmmaking. The humble video cassette, for instance, is on a par with vinyl amongst collectors. There’s a nostalgia for those cheap straight to video films …
Raindance Review: Nafi’s Father
The European colonisation of Africa wreaked a scale of damage on the continent from which it may never recover. Africans were exploited and killed for precious natural and human resources. Whilst independence should have given countries a new start, most soon fell foul of corruption, civil war and a form of economic exploitation. Whilst the …
Raindance Review: He Dreams of Giants
If you were a studio head looking for a director to deliver a film on time and to budget, the last man on earth you’d turn to is Terry Gilliam. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is considered to be one of the biggest flops in the history of cinema. The former ‘Python’ has been trying …
Film Review: Song Without a Name
Given the turbulent nature of South American politics, it’s unsurprising that so much of the continent’s national cinema focuses on social injustice. During the Franco era in Spain and the Pinochet era in Chile, there were many documented cases of child trafficking. Whilst not as well known, there were similar crimes being committed during the …
Raindance Film Festival 2020 Preview
The 28th Raindance Film Festival takes place between 28 October and 7 November. This year’s showcase of some of the best of UK and international independent film will be a hybrid of select live events and an extensive virtual platform. The festival is a hotbed of creativity and talent, but as well as an industry …
Blu-ray Review: Jeepers Creepers
There’s nothing genre fans seem to love more than a franchise. The bigger, the better. It all started in the 1980s during horror’s golden age. The likes of Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th and Halloween’s popularity resulted in what a cynic might term as ‘cashing in’. Suffice to say, these sequels and prequels are, …