DVD Review: Black Society Trilogy
Takashi Miike is a name which became synonymous with Asian Extreme film-making at the turn of the century. He made his name on the international stage with cult films such as Audition, Ichi the Killer and the Dead or Alive trilogy. Starting-out in the often-murky world of Japanese V-Cinema, his work is often punctuated with …
Incoming: La La Land
La La Land tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain …
Blu-Ray Review: Metropolis
When Fritz Lang’s Metropolis was released in 1927 it almost single-handedly spawned a whole new genre of film: Science-Fiction. The original silent film spurred Osamu Tezuka to create a Japanese Manga based on the imagery. Arguably, Japan are the country who’ve embraced sci-fi the most whole-heartedly, in all imaginable (and some unimaginable) shapes and sizes. …
Incoming: Manchester By The Sea
Lee Chandler is a brooding, irritable loner who works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block. One damp winter day he gets a call summoning him to his hometown, north of the city. His brother’s heart has given out suddenly, and he’s been named guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. As if losing his only …
Incoming: Young Offenders
Inspired by the true story of Ireland’s biggest cocaine seizure in 2007, The Young Offenders is a comedy road movie about best friends Conor and Jock, two inner-city teenagers from Cork who dress the same, act the same, and even have the same bum-fluff moustaches. Young Offenders is out in cinemas from Friday.
Blu-ray Review: His Girl Friday (Criterion Collection)
First produced in 1928, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s Broadway play Front Page revolutionised comedy, both on stage and on the big screen. The intricate plotting and rapid-fire dialogue has influenced countess writers and directors. It has been adapted for cinema audiences on several occasions, both eponymously by Lewis Milestone and Billy Wilder, and in …
Blu-Ray Review: Black Orpheus (Criterion Collection)
When Black Orpheus won the Palme d’Or in 1959 ahead of the likes of 400 Blows and Hiroshima Mon Amour, it was a surprise to the say the least. In retrospect, it was an entirely foolish decision. However, Marcel Camus’ film was arguably the first to really showcase Rio’s Carnival and introduced bossa nova to …
Blu-Ray Review: Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko was one of the first films to ride the power of the internet wave to go from a limited opening to becoming one of the most iconic of the decade. Richard Kelly’s 2001 film caught the imagination of a generation and propelled its star into the ‘A’ list of Hollywood celebrities. It’s a …
Film Review: Zero Days
World War III will not be contested with guns, tanks or bombs. It will be a secret war which won’t take place on any battlefield. Instead of fighting in the streets, the arena of conflict will be in cyberspace. This has already started and we’re now reaching a point where hackers have the potential to …
Film Review: Endless Poetry
Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of a kind. There’s simply no other film-maker quite like him. Whilst his films range from the obtuse to the downright impenetrable, the Chilean has a unique aesthetic eye and lyrical style. Endless Poetry is the second of Jodorowsky’s five planned cinematic memoirs. Following on from The Dance of Reality, the …