Mention the name Joe Dante, and some of the films that immediately spring to mind include Gremlins. Explorers and Innerspace. However, few people mention his sublime 1993 homage to cinema ‘Matinee’. A film that joyously celebrated the power of the big screen; the end of innocence and final years of monster driven exploitation filmmaking. While taking inspiration from the real-life …
The legal drama/thriller has been a mainstay of cinema for a number of years. Enthralling audiences with stories of the lone legal professional taking on the military, government or business for public good. However, these drama’s are often simplistic in tone, summarising long and bitter legal battles in 150 minutes of screen time. But with Todd Haynes (Carol) latest film …
History is full of figures who have fought institutionalised oppression by breaking laws, and even taking lives only to become legends of folklore. Whether they be Dick Turpin or Jesse James, those who target the very foundations of a countries inequality. Often find themselves raised onto pedestals mixing truth with fantasy long after their death. In Australia, Ned Kelly and …
At what age does the freedom and innocence of childhood become consumed by the mists of adolescence? The answer of course differs for every person, the journey to adulthood one of personal self-discovery. It’s jarring and uncomfortable dawn bringing with it the realities of adult life, sex, and relationships. Creating a transition that is often both painful and joyous in …
Placing Charles Dickens classic novel David Copperfield into the hands of Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin), may sound rather audacious. But Iannucci’s love of all things Dickens found itself highlighted back in 2012. With the fabulous BBC documentary ‘Armando’s Tale of Charles Dickens‘. In which the writer/director explored Dickens work with contemporary social eye. While equally focussing on the …
Do you remember the long summer holidays away from school at the tender age of 15? For many of us we now look back at this time through the rose tinted specs of adulthood. But the truth is these breaks were often painful, disappointing and challenging for both the us and our parent/s. Our hormonal confusion and desire for freedom …
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel, first published in 1990. Director Ben Cookson navigates the tightrope of bringing holocaust drama to children’s orientated filmmaking. While embracing the challenge of filming entirely on location. With the French mountain village at the centre of Morpurgo’s book, providing an important backdrop to the narrative. Creating a film that excels in both visual style and …
This review is brought to you in partnership with our friends at Vertigo Releasing While the thematic base of Alex Thompson’s debut feature film ‘Saint Frances’ may sit within the familiar; the disillusionment of thirty-something life. His film transcends the usual comedy/drama tropes, by embracing a frank, honest and loving exploration of the female experience. While layering this with a …
Despite featuring some of the finest on-screen talents of recent years, the latest film from Woody Allen ‘A Rainy Day in New York’ is a decidedly damp affair. Its narrative combining a mix of 1950s nostalgia, 1980s affluence, and his trademark whimsey alongside a 21st Century backdrop. Ultimately creating a film that feels both disconnected and distant; a relic from …
The 1990s offered a period of large scale change in both the U.K and Ireland, as the social structures of the 80s were challenged by a newly emerging social confidence. In Britain, this led to the birth of Brit Pop and political change, while across the Irish Sea young people began to question the beliefs of their parents, government, and …