Film Review: I Am Not a Witch
Colonialism hasn’t exactly left large swathes of Africa in a great position. If we weren’t stripping countries of natural resources or forcing populations into slavery, we were educating the natives to follow the worst tenets of our prejudiced societies. And whilst the Catholic church did their best to convert ‘the savages’ with their own brand …
LFF Review: A Mother Brings Her Son To Be Shot
Although the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland officially ended with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, it doesn’t mean life suddenly improved overnight. Whilst Belfast is trying to re-brand itself as a tourist destination, much of the province has fared far worse. Derry, a city in the heart of the violence, is still …
DVD Review: Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
Richard Gere is one of those actors who acquired the label of ‘heartthrob’ in his prime but has managed to reinvent himself in his august years. Whilst he was one of the most bankable male leads in his early career (Pretty Woman/Breathless/American Gigolo) he’s become a safe pair of hands in later life (Hachi: A …
LFF Review: The Nile Hilton Incident
To put it lightly, Egypt as a country is a complete and utter mess. There’s repression of free speech, media witch-hunts and the complete eradication of certain civil liberties. It’s not quite the paradise many hoped for after the uprising against Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Indeed, many are questioning whether they’re really better off now. …
DVD Review: Replace
The quest for eternal youth is one which has fascinated humankind from time immemorial. The multi-million-dollar market in cosmetics and beauty products has morphed into an ocean of anti-aging and skin replenishing therapies. Not to mention medication, herbal supplements and all manner of weird and wonderful treatments and plans. In Norbert Keil’s new film Replace, …
Blu-Ray Review: Miracle Mile
Whilst the Cold War may have begun shortly after the end of World War II, it was during the 1960s and 1980s where tensions were at their height. This is reflected in the cinema of the time. The ‘60s saw films such as Dr. Strangelove, The War Game and Fail Safe whilst the ‘80s produced …
LFF Review: The Ballad of Shirley Collins
There has been folk music in England since the Middle Ages. Whilst its popularity has ebbed and flowed over the decades and centuries, it underwent a revival after the end of World War II; with a network of folk clubs springing up across the country. This in turn brought a new generation of performers through. …
Incoming: The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
From writer/director Noah Baumbach, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is the emotional, and comic intergenerational tale of adult siblings (Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Elizabeth Marvel) contending with the long shadow their strong-willed father (Dustin Hoffman) has cast over their lives. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is in cinemas and on Netflix from …
Blu-Ray Review: The Howling
Werewolf movies have become a popular sub-genre of horror cinema. Whilst they’ve been knocking around for a while, it probably wasn’t until the 1980’s that they seeped into popular culture (who can forget Teen Wolf?). Whilst not the most cinematic subject, An American Werewolf in London, Ginger Snaps and Dog Soldiers demonstrated what could be …
Incoming: The Snowman
When an elite crime squad’s lead detective (Michael Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit (Rebecca Ferguson), the cop must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes …