LFF Review: The Antenna
The Western world has long been suspicious of Muslim countries and their often-fanatical leaders. Radical Islam and liberal democratic values do not sit hand in hand. Turkey has long been seen as a friendly nation, particularly by the US and UK. One which has been regularly called upon to support ‘the war on terror’ in …
LFF Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon
There’s probably no actor more derided in modern cinema than Shia LaBeouf. After getting his big break in Transformers, there were a few signs that he might be a future star. However, LaBeouf’s career quickly went downhill and he became somewhat of a sad parody of himself. This included rampant plagiarism, public disorder offences and …
Grimmfest Review: Tales from the Lodge
Whilst portmanteau horror films were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, largely due to the work of Abacus, it’s not until fairly recently that there’s been a resurgence. Along the way we’ve seen the occasional highlight (most notably Creepshow), but it was arguably the release of VHS which sparked something of a comeback for the …
LFF Review: Transnistra
Whether it’s because of the collapse of the USSR and the communism of the Eastern Bloc, or a hangover from World War II, much of the internal and local politics of Eastern Europe is a mystery to many. Whilst many nations have regained independence, other claims have been suppressed, ignored or put on hold. Old …
Grimmfest Review: She Never Died
Without much fanfare, He Never Died became one of the most intelligent and interesting independent horror films of 2016 (in the UK). Jason Krawczyk’s film cast the enigmatic Henry Rollins as the reluctant cannibal who has to save his daughter whilst trying not to eat anyone. He also written the screenplay for the sequel, She …
LFF Review: Ghost Town Anthology
Canada is often overshadowed by its loud, brash and sometimes obnoxious southerly neighbour. This is definitely the case when it comes to film. Whilst there’s nothing like Hollywood in the land of maple syrup, independent cinema has often flourished. It’s easy to forget that although English is the national language, French is spoken widely in …
LFF Review: The Unknown Saint
Nothing does dark and sardonic quite like the human imagination. We, as a species, are fatally flawed. We build societies and communities which are inherently unfair, then complain about it. We make bureaucratic processes so complex that they become virtually impossible to navigate. Almost Kafkaesque, you could say. Indeed, there’s something so delightfully fun about …
DVD Review: Balloon
After the end of World War II, the Allies portioned out their captured territory. The East and West were separated by the Inner German Border and subsequently the more famous Berlin Wall. During the 45 years this delineation separated capitalism and communism, over a thousand people lost their lives trying to cross it. In his …
Film Review: Werewolf
There are very few sane people who would argue that the Holocaust wasn’t the worst moment in modern European history. Whilst so many died, the impact on those who remained is almost impossible to quantify. Whilst many films have been made about the events surrounding the lowest period in human history, much less focus has …
Film Review: To Tokyo
Abuse is a difficult thing to deal with, let alone talk about. Victims often internalise their pain and suffering which can lead to self-destructive or dangerous behaviour. When that abuse is perpetrated by a family member or someone in a position of trust, the reaction can be so strong that it’s almost paralysing. In Caspar …