DVD Review: ‘Four Lions’
★★★★★ It was almost inevitable that the cinematic debut from actor, writer and director Chris Morris would attract an inordinate amount of controversy and media […]
DVD Releases: ‘Cemetery Junction’
There’s been a lot said about Cemetery Junction (2010), the first feature release co-written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, mostly (and to the […]
Cigarette Burns: Owen Wilson: some rules…
Imagine my horror (go on, do it) when I discovered that Owen Wilson was to provide the voice for talking dog Marmaduke in the new […]
Theatrical Releases: ‘The Illusionist’
When you’re writer and director Sylvain Chomet, following up your universally adored and critically acclaimed first feature, whilst at the same time meeting the subsequent […]
Theatrical Releases: ‘Knight and Day’
Tom Cruise often comes across as a pint-sized, arrogant, pampered Hollywood cliché, and his notorious appearance on The Oprah Winfrey show could (and perhaps should) have […]
DVD Releases: ‘Repo Men’
The title Repo Men (2010) brings Darren Lynn Bousman’s Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) to mind and indeed the two films share some significant similarities. […]
DVD Review: ‘Dogtooth’
★★★★☆ Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth (2009) is an unsettling examination of how easily the desire to control others can lead to tyranny. The film follows three teenagers confined […]
DVD Releases: ‘Largo Winch’
A conspiracy-thriller in the mould of a Bourne movie, Largo Winch (2008) is a predominantly French production based on a comic book series by Belgian […]
Cigarette Burns: Words can’t hurt you?
I’ve found that as I watch more and more films, I notice the increasing use of lazy cliche comments that act as a shorthand information […]
Film Review: "The Expendables"
★★★★☆ The intent behind The Expendables (2010) is now legendary; a chance to bring back the past action stars of yore, all heralded under heavyweight […]
Film Review: ‘Mother’
★★★★☆ Revered director Bong Joon-ho is one of a number of South Korean directors that have (rightly) garnered recognition for his cinematic work in the […]
Secret Cinema: Seeing Films Differently
According to many of the most successful film producers and studios worldwide, the future of cinema lies in the ‘game-changing’, ‘immersive’ quality of 3D film, […]
Special Feature: The rise of Joseph Gordon-Levitt
From long-haired alien teenager Tommy in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun to this summer’s smash-hit blockbuster Inception (2010), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, at the age […]
DVD Review: ‘Centurion’
★★★☆☆ In the aftermath of the announced abolition of the UK Film Council by the UK Coalition government, much has been made on how this […]
Cigarette Burns: Super-Mega-Death-Match-Team-Up-Showdown-Throw-Down-athon
Bombastic titles aside, I think it’s time we addressed the issue of the cinematic ‘team up’. With The Expendables (2010) now on general release (it’s […]
Theatrical Releases: ‘Splice’
Splice is a film with a lot to live up to. Firstly, it comes from Vicenzo Natali, the writer/director of Cube (1997): one of the […]
Special Feature: ‘Nanook of the North’ at the First People’s Festival
As darkness falls on a Montreal evening and stars begin to appear, two Inuit woman take their places on stage under a giant wigwam. They […]
DVD Releases: ‘Hierro’
There’s something ultimately disappointing about the latest supernatural Spanish horror Hierro: it’s certainly stylishly shot and edited, its lead actress is impressive as a woman […]