Blog Archives

Nightcrawler - Review

10/29/2014

by Liam McMillen

Jake Gyllenhaal has spent his entire career playing the creepy guy. Some would say he's now typecast, but somehow he manages to keep his performances fresh and exciting. With Nightcrawler, he puts in a tour-de-force performance, which is arguably his best.

Marvel Announce Expanding Cinematic Universe, New Titles

10/28/2014

Extraterrestrial - Spoiler Review

10/28/2014

by Georgia Thompson

From Grave Encounters to close encounters, the Vicious Brothers’ new film Extraterrestrial will be released on 29th October, just in time for Halloween. But is it scary? Does it measure up to the immeasurable Grave Encounters? I went along to the preview screening and Q&A with the writer/directors, the Vicious Brothers (Stuart Ortiz & Colin Minnihan), to find out for myself.

Opening with a condom-shaped constellation and a totally unnecessary ass-shot, the film gives the immediate sense of being tongue-in-cheek and a bit fun. Anyone who has seen the previous work of the Vicious Brothers will be preparing themselves at this stage, and trying not to get too comfortable with the comedy for fear of what comes next. However, as the story progressed and the lead characters were introduced, it was like I was watching a parody that was going on too long. I was waiting for a punchline and it just wasn’t coming

Mr Turner - Review

10/27/2014

by Cookie N Screen

Mike Leigh is one of the most ferociously daring directors when it comes to excavating the human spirit. Arguably one of Britain’s best filmmakers (I say arguably, we all know he is), Leigh has depicted the soul of ordinary people in such a phenomenal way. His work is completely evocative, able to apply a level of astuteness that absorbs you into his stories. Another Year, Secrets & Lies and Naked are just stunning and excruciating (a must) looks at humanity in all its bleakness and splendour. Notably, he has taken to bring real life dramas onto the screen, with the most acclaimed being Vera Drake. Now, he has set critics alight by painting an art biopic on the famous artist Turner.

DVD & Blu-ray Releases - 27/10/14

10/27/2014

Salute Your Shorts: Terry and Brenda

10/25/2014

by Cookie N Screen

Within the first minute of Terry and Brenda, you’ll think to yourself – “aye, I know people just like these two!” Especially if you’ve grown up in working class Northern Suburbia. Much like The Royle Family and similar British comedies, Terry and Brenda sets the right tone of English nights in with a brew, a quiz show and a Bourbon or custard cream.

There is no denying that you’ll take one look at Terry and Brenda and shuffle awkwardly. These are the faces ripped from the twitching curtains of Coronation Street, only heavily more bleak and realistic. Get five minutes into Jamie Hooper’s dark comedy short and you’ll realise that there is much more to this happily married couple. Get ten minutes in and, as the secrets unfurl, you’ll think to yourself, “Aye, I hope I don’t know people like Terry and Brenda!”

Black History Month: Films That Woke Up America

10/25/2014

by Aly Lalji

Black cinema has truly made its mark in pop culture and the talent of African American filmmakers is superb and sublime. The early 70s created the Blaxploitation genre, where African Americans were evolving to a higher filmic ground post-Vietnam. African Americans were angry, and understandably so considering their troubled past of prejudice. As a result, they were not afraid to tell a story that would create impact, but would, in the long term, wake up America. Here, we will look at five films in the canon of black cinema that should considered as significant in their cultural impact on the landscape of American culture.

Top War Epics

10/24/2014

by Gloria Daniels-Moss

War and World War II in particular have always been popular choices for film and TV narratives. We have been given so many war epics and with the release of Fury hitting cinemas this Friday 24th October we take a look at some of the most accomplished war films. Of course the list to choose from is endless and when it comes to narrowing it down to five it becomes rather tricky. The likes of Pearl Harbour, Saving Private Ryan and Platoon all spring to mind however, there is so much more to a war epic than romance and actions scenes. To kick this off, a TV series that virtually everyone was talking about when it was aired back in 2011; the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers.

Fury - Review

10/24/2014

by Matthew Gammond

There’s a reason the slick 40's look is on its way back into fashion; people have realised it actually looks cool and classy, and nobody epitomises it more than Brad Pitt in Fury. Hair combed back with more oil than in a whole tank platoon, he looks strangely contemporary in a movie set during the final months of World War 2.

It’s 1945 and Hitler is on the ropes. The Allies are in Germany and are tightening the noose on the Nazis. Director David Ayer is no stranger to action having given us the fairly awesome End of Watch in 2012 and the pretty mild Sabotage earlier this year. That being said, if you’re expecting Fury to be a straight-up meat-head shoot ‘em up, you’ll be sorely disappointed. It has depth, character and heart; it’s one of the best war films I’ve seen for a long time.

Jimi: All Is By My Side - Review

10/24/2014

by Paul Costello

Biopics are always a risky game. It’s no small feat to attempt to translate to the big screen the story of someone whose life was big enough to warrant such treatment. This is the kind of process reserved only for people who were larger than life, who made an impact so great that the vast cinematic tablet is the only way to do their tale justice. However, the biopic, particularly the music biopic, has become something easy to replicate, to process, to parody even (see Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story for the pitch perfect example of that). If the people who deserve the biopics are themselves so distinctive, why would the collective attempts to tell their stories become so well-worn and commonplace? In Jimi: All Is by My Side, it’s in the hands of writer-director John Ridley to find a way to do justice to the life of rock music legend, Jimi Hendrix.

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Forward>>

Nightcrawler - Review

Marvel Announce Expanding Cinematic Universe, New Titles

Extraterrestrial - Spoiler Review

Mr Turner - Review

DVD & Blu-ray Releases - 27/10/14

Salute Your Shorts: Terry and Brenda

Black History Month: Films That Woke Up America

Top War Epics

Fury - Review

Jimi: All Is By My Side - Review

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