Film Review: Tesla
As the saying goes, history is written by victors. Whilst this is definitely the case when it comes to conflict, conquest and war, it often also applies to other areas of life. This is the case with Niko Tesla. The Austrian émigré became famous in America as an inventor and pioneer during his lifetime but …
Film Review: The Tunnel
Whilst there’s an ongoing debate, which has become particularly pertinent this year, about the importance of seeing a film ‘on the big screen’, there’s a certain genre of films which undoubtedly benefits from that environment. Disaster movies are usually pretty dumb, especially ones made in Hollywood, but there’s an unlikely new player. Norway is building …
Film Review: Nocturnal
Whilst they first gained popularity in Victorian times, the heyday of the British seaside resort came during the 1950s and 1960s. Today, with the rise of foreign packaged holiday and the affordability of air travel, many of these communities are struggling to survive. This feeling of slow rot can provide fertile ground for drama to …
Film Review: White Riot
Recent events in America have been eye-opening for those watching from afar. 2020 has seen the rise of the Black Lives Matter organisation in response to the institutional racism in the US, particularly within police departments. Echoes of which have reverberated across the world. Whilst it would be simplistic to feel in some way morally …
Film Review: Rocks
Childhood is meant to be a special time. One of excitement, adventure and discovery. A period of personal and physical growth through learning and play, but also a chance to experiment and experience a range of new and exciting things. This requires an implicit trust in our parent(s) or guardian(s) to take care of the …
Blu-Ray Review: Show Boat (1936)
Whilst he was only actively making films for just over a decade, James Whale played a pivotal role in the development of genre cinema in America. Influenced by early European expressionist cinema, the West Countryman made some of the most iconic early horror films, including The Old Dark House, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein and …
Open City Docs Review: Once Upon A Youth
Whilst it might not have seemed so at the time, your teenage years are the ones which will stay with you for the rest of your life. The music you listen to, the films you watch, the books you read and the people you shared those obsessions with. It’s a time of growth. Of transition …
Film Review: Summerland
If you ask me, and no one has, one of the worst side-effects of our new technological age are dating sites and apps. Nothing sucks the life out of finding your soulmate more than reading through a list of uninspiring copied and pasted favourite books and films or swiping left on a number of staged …
Blu-Ray Review: Safety Last!
Whilst many of the films produced during the silent era may now be lost, damaged or forgotten, it was a pivotal period in cinema and established a strong bond between audiences and motion pictures. A variety of genres began to flourish during that time but it’s perhaps the American comedies which still retain the most …
Open City Docs Review: Sunless Shadows
Despite all the progress which has been made over the last few decades, we still live in a distinctly patriarchal world. Whilst it’s the case (pretty much) everywhere, in some places it seems like very little progress has been made over the last hundred years. Indeed, certain nations have regressed. These tend to be states …