Film
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review – Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson
It’s not easy, or cheap, to make a film. A surprising as it might seem, we only normally get to see the best of the best in cinemas. Nowadays most either go straight to ‘download’ or disappear down the black hole of no distribution. However, digital technology means anyone can now make a movie. Back …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: We Are Little Zombies
If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll know just how central the gaming culture is to the lives of (almost) three generations of young, and not so young, people. It’s pervasive and encroaches into almost every aspect of daily life. For his feature debut, Makoto Nagahisa chooses a structure which mimics that of a role-playing …
Film Review: Varda by Agnès
Whilst it has become customary to respond to the death of anyone even vaguely famous with a series of platitudes, in the case of Agnès Varda it was a huge loss to the world of cinema. She had a relentlessly inquisitive character, both of herself and anyone she came into contact with. A stalwart of …
Film Review: DeadTectives
Anyone of a certain age is likely to have a vivid memory of 31 October 1992. The BBC decided to air a very special live television experience to celebrate Halloween. Those who saw Ghostwatch were probably haunted by that experience. Whilst it was a spoof, it paved the way for paranormal television. The most famous …
Blu-ray Review: Lords of Chaos
Heavy metal music has received a bad rap over the years and at one time it was considered to be the devil’s music in many quarters. Amusingly, you’ll find that members of metal bands are quite often extremely shy and incredibly friendly. However, it is a form of music with a baffling and sometimes disturbing …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Shadow
Whilst Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon introduced an unsuspecting world to the joys of wuxia at the start of the century, no one has done more to keep it in the public eye than Zhang Yimou. The Chinese director, made famous by Hero and House of Flying Daggers, has been a key proponent of this style …
Film Review: Gwen
Whilst the Industrial Revolution may have profoundly changed Britain’s position in the world, that doesn’t mean to say that everyone benefited. Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham and other major industrial centres flourished but it was largely the factory owners who got rich. This wealth didn’t necessarily stretch outside of major cities. Copper, steel and iron ore provided …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: Chiwawa
When you’re young, life passes by at a blistering pace and friends and lovers come and go in a blink of an eye. Every day is all about living in the moment and finding the next party to go to. Finding a way to follow your dreams and not worrying too much about what will …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: The Deeper You Dig
Guilt can do funny things to a person. It can drive them to the edge of insanity and fundamentally change the way they live their life. These pangs of conscience can eat away at your soul until it starts severely impacting on your mental health. It’s not uncommon to experience visions, as a bruised imagination …
Fantasia Festival 2019 Review: The Art of Self-Defence
It is estimated that there are almost 400 million privately owned guns in the United States of America. That’s the equivalent of more than one weapon for every American. Whilst a small percentage owns a disproportionate amount, most are bought as a means of self-defence; wrongheaded as that may be. Others choose to take up …