New French extremity holds an important place in film history and for film fans. From Baise-Moi to Martyrs to Irreversible and Raw, this movement of boundary-pushing cinema is characterised by aggressive style, graphic violence and somewhat depraved presentations of humanity. Amelie, this ain’t. Inside from 2007 more than lives up […]
Vincent Gaine
Thelma & Louise (1991) Ridley Scott’s Mythic Modern American Classic (Review)
Since its original release in 1991, Thelma & Louise has become a classic and a frequently revisited and referenced one at that. A shorthand for ‘feminist film’, ‘film about women’, ‘female friendship’, ‘women who don’t need men’ and more, it is also something of an oddity in the career of […]
Carlito’s Way (1993) Deserves a Spot in the Pantheon of Crime Classics (Review)
“The street is watching” is a weighty and ominous line that conveys paranoia and trepidation, as well as knowledge of one’s surroundings, and it’s a line that echoes throughout Carlito’s Way, a fine example of one of the oldest and most American of film genres – the crime movie. When […]
The Ginger Snaps Trilogy (2000-2004) Important piece of Disruptive Art, vital as Teen Horror icon (Review)
Somewhere between the meta-cinematic knowingness of Scream and the self-contained irony of Jennifer’s Body sits Ginger Snaps, a smart, sassy, trilogy of teenage girls dealing with lycanthropy. Or are they really dealing with teenage problems? Menstruation and other signs of puberty; sexuality and relationships; addiction and self-harm; colonialism and manifest […]
Faceless After Dark (Grimmfest 2023)(Review)
At Grimmfest 2023, this critic asked director Raymond Wood if he considered Faceless after Dark to be a ‘woke’ film. He replied that he didn’t like the term, it was too vague and reductive, but described it as a feminist film from a man who considers himself a feminist ally. […]
Give Me An A (Grimmfest 2023)(Review)
Few things could be more horrific than the loss of bodily autonomy, but in June 2022 millions of women across the USA lost theirs when the landmark case Roe V Wade was overturned, removing the right to abortion. Since then, many cases and protests have arisen, as well as various […]
Daliland (2023) Shrugs at the eccentricity of artists without rolling its eyes (Review)
Think of Salvador Dali and it’s likely that some weird images come to mind, maybe of melting clocks, long-legged elephants and perhaps a moustache curled to the point of preposterousness. That’s all well and iconic, but what do you actually know about the man? Artists occupy a peculiar space in […]
Grimmfest 2023 Line-Up
‘The horror we are showcasing this year is interior, intelligent, engaged and explosive. It delights in the genre as much as it bends and redefines it. We are so proud of our 2023 lineup and so excited to share it with you all.’ (Acting co-director Leonie Rowland) Manchester’s International Festival […]
The Moor (Frightfest 2023)(Review)
The landscapes of Britain can suggest a rustic charm and beauty, but they’re also ripe for folk horrors like The Wicker Man and Enys Men. Some of the most evocative locations are the various moors scattered across the land, which can be everything from the setting of Sir Arthur Conan […]
Quicksand (2023) Survival Horror, and when it’s the right time to Suck (Review)
Survival horror works by pitting humanity against nature and the elements. The sub-genre, therefore, taps into fears of the unknown, the uncontrollable, and the insurmountable. This could be a mountain, a river, the sea, or a cave, and dangerous beasties are optional. QUICKSAND, directed by Andres Beltran and written by […]