FIlm Review
Blu-Ray Review: Iron Monkey
When it comes to the Hong Kong film industry, I’d argue that no one who has been more important and influential over the last 35 years or so than Tsui Hark. Working in various roles as a director, screenwriter, producer and choreographer, he’s been responsible for A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story, Zu Warriors …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Waldheim Waltz
With populism on the rise and the likes of Donald Trump in power in America and Sebastian Kurz in Austria, we’re in an incredibly dangerous period in world politics. At the same time, knowledge of the horrors of the past which were committed on European soil seems to be fading. Without learning from history we’re …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: On Her Shoulders
The media are fickle creatures. When a story or an issue is hot, they’re falling over themselves to cover every aspect and angle. When interest wanes, it almost feels like it never happened. The same can be said for most politicians. Quick to back a cause if it makes them look good but often not …
Blu-Ray Review: The Quiet Earth
Writers have long had a fascination with the concept of a post-apocalyptic world where only one, or very few, human(s) remain(s). As far back as 1826, Mary Shelley broached the subject in her novel Last Man. However, it was, perhaps, most famously depicted in I Am Legend. This conceit has been captured on screen in …
Blu-Ray Review: Last House on the Left (1972)
Until very recently when the likes of It Follows, Get Out and A Quiet Place have attracted wide and varied audiences, horror movies were often sniffed at by mainstream audiences (and critics). If you’ve ever been to a horror film festival you’ll know that genre fans are a dedicated (and friendly) bunch. However, there are …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Too Beautiful – Our Right to Fight
Whilst Cuba is a relatively small and poor county it has always punched above its weight in the Olympics. This is primarily down to their prowess in the boxing ring. Despite only having twelve places on the national team, roughly twenty percent of Cuba’s athletes participate in the sport. This is presumably due to the …
DVD Review: The Wound
Over the course of human history, taking the journey into manhood has been a pivotal moment in a boy’s life. Whilst the developed world has largely left this tradition in the past, religious ceremonies aside, it still an integral part of many cultures. However, there’s a distinct divide between urban and rural in many African …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Three Identical Strangers
When an incredible story appears in the news, and then becomes even more extraordinary, you would naturally assume that a documentary will follow in due course. However, this is not always the case and it can take years and years for the full facts to come out. There are often licencing and access issues which …
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: The Cleaners
When the scandal broke about Cambridge Analytica harvesting Facebook data in order to influence election campaigns, it was hardly the first negative press the company had received. Indeed, the major social media giants have faced a string of accusations and allegations for failing to deal with posts on their sites, ranging from far-right and Islamic …
Film Review: The Ciambra
After shaking of the yoke of dictatorship and censorship, the post-War period in Italy was a fertile time for film-making. From the neo-realism of Rossellini and Visconti, through the classics of Fellini and Antonioni, to the spaghetti westerns of Leone and the giallo of Argento, it was a hotbed of creativity. As we approached the …