Short of the Week – Very Lonely Cock Phil W. Bayles November 7, 2016 Features, Independent, Short of the Week Don't let the provocative title fool you - Russian animator Leonid Shmelkov's Very Lonely Cock is a charming animated short which, while utterly bizarre, is also completely safe for work. We think....
Cultivating A Cult: The Trial of The Greasy Strangler Christopher Preston November 5, 2016 Analysis, Features, Opinion "Too much grease is bad for you. I read it in a fitness magazine someone left on the bus." All films are guilty of wanting something. Just look at 2016's offerings: March played host to the...
Derek Cianfrance’s Flawed Epics Kambole Campbell November 3, 2016 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Derek Cianfrance’s highly anticipated The Light Between Oceans has finally been released, and it's somewhat disappointing. Even having never heard of the novel, it was easy to get excited by the big names...
13 Things We Know About The 2017 Oscar Race Calum Baker November 1, 2016 Analysis, Features, One Off OK, so there are more than 13 things we know about the 2017 Oscar race. We know, for instance, all the usual givens such as the 0% chance of Captain America: Civil War being nominated for Best Picture, or...
Short of the Week – The Horribly Slow Murder With The Extremely Inefficient Weapon Phil W. Bayles October 31, 2016 Features, Independent, Short of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VDvgL58h_Y A truly great parody is the one that doesn't require the audience to be familiar with any particular thing that it's mocking. It's why Airplane! remains one...
What to Watch from the BFI’s Black Star Season Kambole Campbell October 26, 2016 A Beginner's Guide To..., Analysis, Features Over the past few years there has been a renewed push for representation of black voices in Hollywood. With recent online campaigns such as #OscarsSoWhite, and more physical movements like Black Lives Matter,...
On the Future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Kambole Campbell October 25, 2016 Analysis, Features, Opinion With the disappearance of notorious bigot and perpetual pain in the ass Ike Perlmutter, the future of Marvel looks bright. In the last decade Marvel Studios has released a long series of consecutive box office...
Short of the Week – Borrowed Time David Brake October 24, 2016 Features, Independent, Short of the Week https://vimeo.com/187257744 Perhaps there should be no real surprise in a Pixar animator’s penchant for twanging heartstrings with a perfectly placed pixel or two. Toys holding hands in a last...
Marie Antoinette – A Period Drama for the Mumblecore Generation David Brake October 19, 2016 Features, Nostalgia, Second Chance “I think she’s delightful. She looks like a little piece of cake.” Marie Antoinette never did say "Let them eat cake", but that didn’t stop Sofia Coppola from whipping up a movie dusted in...
American Honey: Andrea Arnold in America Stephanie Watts October 17, 2016 Analysis, Close-Up, Features Andrea Arnold is a filmmaker who stands out for a number of reasons, but her focus on social realism as a subject and style is one that stands out more than others. Before American Honey, her first American...
Short of the Week – Domestic Policy Phil W. Bayles October 17, 2016 Features, Independent, Short of the Week https://vimeo.com/177713990 In just a few short weeks, America could elect its first ever female president. This should be a cause for celebration; a golden time in politics and a long-overdue victory...
Wuthering Heights: Andrea Arnold’s Anti-Costume Drama Cathy Brennan October 12, 2016 Analysis, Close-Up, Features If you were to glance at the Amazon reviews for Andrea Arnold’s 2011 adaptation of Wuthering Heights you would find a storm of one-star reviews. Most of the ire seems to come from fans of Emily Brontë’s...
By The Book: The Girl On The Train Stephanie Watts October 11, 2016 Analysis, By The Book, Features Welcome to By the Book, where we compare books with their cinematic adaptations. Are they faithful and delightful partners in storytelling, or are the authors turning in their graves through these unholy...
Short of the Week – Thunder Road David Brake October 10, 2016 Features, Independent, Short of the Week https://vimeo.com/174957219 If you're going to do a short film based around the title of one of Bruce Springsteen’s best and most popular songs, you’d better do a good job. Luckily for Jim Cummings,...
Scene Stealers: Aidan Gillen in Calvary Cathy Brennan October 5, 2016 Analysis, Features, Scene Stealers While critically well-regarded, Calvary hasn’t received much attention since its release in 2014. Similar to recent Oscar-winner Spotlight, the film deals with the issue of abuse within the Catholic...
