Becoming an artist means sacrificing a lot of things in order to become successful. In the circles I know, many aren’t seen for months as they hovel themselves away in dark rooms in order to create something spectacular without so much of a sniff of a social life (cough, myself, cough cough). Others who go down a career based route are often seen and lamented as bad parents if they choose to have a family too - as any heavy career driven person would. I do believe that women often get the lump of this - mothers who are musicians that have to tour are seen as bad for trying to provide, not just for a their children but for their own soul.
by Cookie N Screen
Becoming an artist means sacrificing a lot of things in order to become successful. In the circles I know, many aren’t seen for months as they hovel themselves away in dark rooms in order to create something spectacular without so much of a sniff of a social life (cough, myself, cough cough). Others who go down a career based route are often seen and lamented as bad parents if they choose to have a family too - as any heavy career driven person would. I do believe that women often get the lump of this - mothers who are musicians that have to tour are seen as bad for trying to provide, not just for a their children but for their own soul.
by Cookie N Screen
We walk into comedies in the hopes that our ribs would be sufficiently tickled and our sides sufficiently split. In the hopes that we would be entertained far from our dreary lives, comedies are there to tell us jokes, make us giggle and spit out our overpriced coke on the person in front of us. What we don’t expect is for comedies to tear our souls out, crush our spirits and make us cry for moments of epic joy or epic sadness. The kind of comedy where it is all fun and games and then bam,it punches us right in the feels.
by Dave House
On a bright sunny afternoon, somewhat unusual for an early April day in London I head over to Freud’s in central to meet with British writer and director, Tom Green, (not to be confused with the American film star). Tom Green directed and also co-wrote Misfits straight after finishing film school. But he’d already garnered a lot of interest from television and film from his first year project in film school, the excellent short, Brixton 85. It’s a powerful and realistic dramatization of the events that led up to the 1985 Brixton riots and a project Green has said he wishes to return to and develop into a full feature length film.
by Dave House
The original Monsters came out the year after Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 and proved to be a worthy challenge for the top spot as politically charged modern sci-fi films. Both were very different. District 9 was a big budget, violent and visceral critique on apartheid. Whilst the original Monsters was a done on the very cheap subtle road trip love story that explored immigration. But both films resonated with political allegory and were fantastic in their completely different approaches. Now shortly after the release of Blomkamp’s third slice of sci-fi action social commentary Chappie, a follow up to Edward’s original Monsters movie has arisen (this time directed by Misfits director, Tom Green as Edwards was caught up over the filming schedule with Godzilla) and once again, the political commentary is palpable.
by Cookie N Screen
In this day and age, it is really easy to dehumanise humanity via the internet. Cyberbullying has become an alarming trend that effects children, adults and even celebrities - even pushing some people to suicide. This act is shocking, even more so when you realise that the people more likely to take you down through the medium of websites and social media such as Facebook are your friends and sometimes, you’re family. Naturally, this tentative cycle of electronic attacks and insults have seeped into our cinematic consciousness and on the small television soon. After all, only this year did Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams appear in a small television drama Cyberbully to highlight the effects of “trolling” through the internets. But this new horror film, Unfriended, (which, by the way, used to be called Cybernatural and the fact they changed it from an epic pun really disappoints me), takes a more sinister turn.
by Jo Johnstone
For this Movies in Motion, my monthly stop-motion binge, I begin with a confession. Before my blogging days at imwithgeek.com, I was not a fan of Twitter. Its centre at any social controversy made me very nervous of the site. I imagined a hellhole full of selfies and bigoted comments all accessible at the touch of a button. Although, social media will always have its downsides, I have to admit - I love Twitter.
by Matt Gammond
Despite being the only cast member to mysteriously not feature in the cast shot we were shown the other week, Jared Leto is now the first member of Suicide Squad to have his official movie look reveal to the world. And it’s a good one! In a film populated by legendary villains, Leto stands above all else as the Joker – possibly the most iconic villain in the DC universe... maybe in superhero world in general. Getting his look right is paramount; personally, I thought Jack Nicholson’s appearance was a bit too camp, but they totally nailed it with Heath Ledger. Leto was always up against it; Ledger’s performance (from his look to his mannerisms... everything) was flawless. I’m sure in a few decades we’ll refer to it as “iconic” – not a word that’s thrown around lightly. The next incarnation was always going to be facing a huge task, but if there’s one man to do it it’s Jared Leto (or Jake Gyllenhaal, but that’s just my two cents).
by Cookie N Screen
Frankenstein is one of those stories, like Dracula, that'll be told throughout the ages. Coming from the mind of a young Mary Shelley one dinner party, since it's horrid conception, it has had countless adaptations. The most acclaimed ones include Kenneth Branagh's sublime version with the director as the titular Doctor and Robert De Niro, (yes, Robert De Niro), as the creature; Danny Boyle's stage adaption which show Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller share both lead roles; and Peter Cushing's Hammer Horror performance. Not only that but the take crops up in different television shows, one incredible Mel Brooks spoof and one terrible re-imagining. |
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Keep up to speed with the latest news from the world of cinema Must See Movies - A list of independent films we are looking forward too! Movie Monologues - Paul Costello counts down the best speeches in cinematic history every Thursday. Movies In Motion - Jo Johnstone explores the world of stop-motion animation from adverts to features every last Friday of the month. Experiment 626 - Our writers exchanged DVDs and here are the results We'll Fix it in Post - Graham Osborne gives us the run down on how certain movies could be improved. The Horror Vault - The dark side of cinema You May Have Missed - Movies that passed you by. From The Trenches - Matthew Howe delights with stories from the front line! Hidden Heroes - Celebrating those incredible people often in the shadows of cinema Terribrill - So bad they are actually good! Straight On Till Morning - Leah looks at the impact of childhood films Monthly Musical Moment - Taking a look at the best soundtracks and music moments Film FriendsCategories
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