There are so many incredible examples of cinematography from around the world. So much so that it can be very difficult to settle on a particular moment or place in cinema history for an appropriate inclusion to this great series that Robin has devised. But I thought it relevant to go back to when cinematography … Continue reading Cinematography of the World – Part 2: Jack Cardiff in 1940s Britain
The Irish Times recently listed out the 50 greatest Irish films ever made. There were controversies of course. Barry Lyndon topping the list confused many, not least because it was directed by an American and based on a novel by a British writer. Sure, the story focuses on an Irishman (albeit an Anglo-Irishman) and much … Continue reading Best Irish Films Ever Made – The Complimentary List
Over time, the Western films of Hollywood expanded outwards. Many were made in Europe by Italian and Spanish directors (Spaghetti Westerns). Some were adaptations of Japanese Samurai films (The Magnificent Seven). Some were set in Mexico and required drugs to understand (El Topo). Even Communist Eastern Europeans were fond of making their own Westerns that … Continue reading The Western Story – Part 2: Beyond the Frontier
Americans like to think Western movies are about their history, and they therefore cherish them greatly. But the Western was in fact an early construct of dramatic motion pictures. Edwin S. Porter directed a short film in 1903 called The Great Train Robbery. This was a milestone in film making because it established action on … Continue reading The Western Story – Part 1: Into the West
“In the movies, I always played the heroic types. But when the stage lights went out, it was time for drugs and stupidity, and the coveting of women. Now it's time. Time to be a little of what I had always fantasised of being: a hero.” Bubba Ho-Tep is not only the best film with … Continue reading Midnight Movies, Part 4 – The King is Alive in Bubba Ho-Tep
In 1827, on a large sandbar near the town of Natchez by the Mississippi River, an organised duel devolved into a brawl between several participants. The initial duel took place as a result of ongoing feuds between various wealthy local families. Specifically the duel was between Samuel L. Wells III and Dr. Thomas H. Maddox. … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 6 – The Hunted (2003 William Friedkin)
With the promise of control of the X-Men Universe reverting back to Marvel, it is interesting to look back on the roller-coaster of quality and influence that is the X-Men movies. It has been almost 20 years since Bryan Singer made X-Men (2000) and as a result made superhero movies fashionable and profitable again. The … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 4 – Push (2009 Paul McGuigan)
This film is a recording of a live concert of the iconic rock band The Cure at Hyde Park, London in July 2018 - the anniversary of their first live performance 40 years earlier. It is directed by Tim Pope, a long-time collaborator with The Cure and a producer of nearly all of their music … Continue reading Review Special: The Cure Anniversary – 1978-2018 – Live in Hyde Park London
Yesterday (2019, Working Title Films and Universal Pictures) Directed by Danny Boyle. Story by Jack Barth and Richard Curtis. Starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Robert Carlyle and Ed Sheeran Yesterday is a light comedy co-written by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill) and directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting and … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Yesterday and Parasite
It is a quiet, rainy Saturday afternoon. You’ve got the house to yourself for the first time in ages. You don't have the energy for mayhem and chaos. You’re just going to stay in and watch a movie. But what movie? What are you in the mood for? And is your mood likely to change? … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 1 – Firefox (1982 Clint Eastwood)
