And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, come and see! And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him John 6. 7-8 (New Testament) Recent events in the US have put the … Continue reading Nazism and the impact of World War II as depicted on Film
Maudie (2016) Directed by Aisling Walsh, starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke Maudie is a small-budget Irish/Canadian film based on the life of Nova Scotia painter Maud Lewis (played by Sally Hawkins), and her long but volatile relationship with the illiterate, ill-at-ease and often belligerent Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke). The film begins with Maud as … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Maudie and It
There are certain rules known only to a select few by which it is possible to predict the quality of movies. The origin of these rules is often obscure and difficult to explain. One, which has entered common thought, is Rule 21: "The 'Director’s Cut' is always the best version of the movie, except when … Continue reading Rule 21: The ‘Director’s Cut’ is Always the Best Version of the Movie, Except When it isn’t
Below you will find two reviews: one of The Beguiled from 2017, directed by Sofia Coppola, and another of The Beguiled from 1971, directed by Don Siegel. Both are contrasting adaptations of the 1966 novel of the same name by Thomas P. Cullinan (it was originally released under the title ‘A Painted Devil’). The Beguiled (2017, … Continue reading Adaptations Part 3: A Painted Devil Twice Imagined as The Beguiled
‘…a rather lackluster way to end the trilogy…’ This is the third installment of Coogan and Brydon’s sojourn of comic impersonations, while sampling culinary delights and generally driving about. The first was set in Northern England, the second along the coast of Italy and now the third in Spain. This is the least interesting of … Continue reading The Two Reviews: The Trip to Spain (2017 Michael Winterbottom)
Unlike a previous post, which also dealt with great cinematic scores, here disagreements are not welcomed. The following selection may not be your favourite movie scores but they sure as hell should be in your top ten. These are a selection of soundtracks which were integral to the telling of the story, which lifted the … Continue reading The Score is Not Settled: 7 More Great Cinematic Musical Compositions
A Ghost Story (Directed by David Lowery, starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck) This is a slow-paced but absorbing film about grief and loss. It is not a horror story in any sense, but let’s call it a romance / drama – it concerns a ghost occupying his home following his sudden death and watching … Continue reading A Few New Reviews: A Ghost Story, American Made, Atomic Blonde and Logan Lucky
'…sits nicely in the cyberpunk genre…’ Ghost in the Shell is a well-established franchise in comics, movies and TV. Just not as live action. The animated movie Ghost in the Shell (1995), based on the 1989 manga series, has been so influential in science fiction cinema that it has become an almost impossible task to … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Ghost in the Shell (2017 Rupert Sanders)
‘…full historical disclosure be damned…’ The mastermind behind Memento and those latter day Batman movies, Christopher Nolan, takes on his first significant British-centred film (it’s his country of birth after all) and there is an inescapable tinge, or should I say cringe, of Union Jack waving at work here – very inappropriate timing one must … Continue reading The Three Reviews: Dunkirk (2017 Christopher Nolan)
The fear, the tension, the anticipation surrounding the proposed release of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi in December of this year is palpable. You can taste it in the air. Speculation about the plot, the quality of the production and the new direction of the canon take up more bytes on the internet … Continue reading Hope for the Future – Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Preview
Momentary Cinema 