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It doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re in. if you keep your ear to the ground it’s likely that you’ll stumble across a local urban legend or two. These enigmas, mysteries or cautionary tales can often have some grounding in the truth but are also quite often used as a way of child-control. …

No two words, used in conjunction, send shivers down the spine of Hollywood studio execs, financiers and producers quite like those of Terry and Gilliam. He’s undoubtedly a visionary, but one who lacks any basic concept of scope management. As a film fan, this can produce wonderful and amazing results (Brazil, Fear and Loathing in …

2018 will go down as a landmark in the history of cinema. Finally, after so many false starts and aborted attempts, we’ll be able to see The Man Who Killed Don Quixote on the big screen. It’s a film Terry Gilliam has been trying to make since 1989. There have been countless close calls over …

When Ridley Scott produced a new standard for science-fiction film-making with the release of Alien in 1979, I don’t think anyone could have foreseen where the franchise would end-up. After the action horror of Aliens, it took a rather leftfield step. Alien 3 had familiar elements but went in a totally unexpected direction. Much of …

Of all the myriad sub-genres of horror cinema, giallo is possibly the most stylistically exuberant, nostalgically eulogised and vividly colourful. Whilst Dario Argento is the director usually associated with this style of film-making, much of his output fell outside of strict genre definitions. The master of the artform was unquestionably Sergio Martino (The Suspicious Death …

After the end of World War II, Japan spent the best part of a decade in dire straits. When it did finally begin to emerge from a deep Depression, it no longer had its old confidence or self-belief. Previously strong nationalistic tendencies were eschewed in favour of copying its conquerors. American culture streamed into Japanese …

Whilst Willem Dafoe has a distinct look, his ability as an actor has often been overlooked. However, his Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Florida Project this year was the third Oscar he’s been up for (the other two were Shadow of a Vampire and Platoon). His most iconic roles have probably come in films …

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 …

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 …

Whilst he may not be a familiar name to most outside of his homeland, Vincent Ward is without question one of the most influential and important film directors ever to have hailed from New Zealand. What Dreams May Come, which stars Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr, is unquestionably his most famous film. It won …