FIlm Review
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Harpoon
Not all films set on a vessel are tales of endurance, loss and triumph or involve a battle of wits with a nefarious sea creature. Whilst pitching ‘man’ against the sea, or its denizens, can be exciting and tense, there’s nothing quite like two or three humans going head to head in the middle of …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Kingdom
There’s nothing in the West quite like Asian historical action epics. That sense of grandeur which mixes fact and fiction to produce a glossy spectacle on a huge scale. Akira Kurosawa set the bar with his colourful masterpiece Ran. Today, it’s a mainstay of cinema across the continent. This has been made possible by the …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Hard-Core
With a myriad of streaming services at our deposal, a great many online resources and active film communities, it has become increasingly simple to watch cinema from all around the world. Whilst you can see the latest Asian blockbuster in many cinemas, buy direct from Asia and watch online, Japanese independent cinema has remained relatively …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: House of Hummingbird
South Korea was booming in the early 1990s. It was one of the biggest global success stories. Driven by a buoyant real estate market, Seoul in particular was rapidly expanding. An economic explosion which placed it at the forefront of developing economies in Asia. The Miracle on the Han River was in full flow when …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Door Lock
When people think about Asian horror, they often focus on Japanese cinema. Whilst some of the most famous films (Ringu, Audition, Dark Water) come from the land of the rising sun, there’s a wealth of great movies from all over the continent. South Korea has an impressive reputation, with the likes of A Tale of …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: A Good Woman is Hard to Find
It’s surprising the lengths we will go to in order to protect our family. There’s an animalistic instinct which kicks in around young children, especially if you’re a single parent with all the pressure and responsibility resting on your shoulders. This unconditional love and natural impulse can drive even the shyest and most retiring person …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: The Incredible Shrinking Wknd
We live in a world where events move so quickly. On a daily basis, we’re assailed from all sides by information and news from around the world. It can become a laborious task to try and sift through all the static. It’s often difficult to find time to stop, take stock and remember what’s important …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: The Prey
Today’s action movies are full of CGI, unnecessary high moral concepts and diversity quotas. It’s not like the good old days when they were created as vehicles to showcase the skills and charisma of the likes of Arnie, Sly, Jackie Chan or Jean-Claude Van Damme. Jimmy Henderson has an appreciation for old school action films …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: 8
South Africa isn’t a country which you’d naturally associate with cinema but it has produced some of the best contemporary African films over the years. The likes of The Wound, Tsotsi, Five Fingers for Marseilles and District 9 showcased the talent which is on offer. Like much of the continent, the indigenous peoples of its …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Ode to Nothing
You need to be a very special character to work in a funeral home or mortuary. Someone who is comfortable with blood, bodily fluids and being surrounded by cadavers. It could be seen as a perfect job if you’re socially awkward or uncomfortable surrounded by people! Unsurprisingly, it has proved to be a popular location …