The term ‘Giallo’ tends to evoke images of black gloves, much darkness, and a de-emphasis on the plot in favour of lurid colours. A viewer could be forgiven, therefore, for their surprise when coming across a film labeled Giallo that features jaunty music, comedy pratfalls and gymnastics, and an engagement […]
Movies & Documentaries
Boyhood (2014) Epic Achievement that Somehow lacks a Definitive Direction (Review)
I think Boyhood will go down in my viewing history as one of these films that I appreciate more than I actually like. While it is ultimately a straightforward coming-of-age film, it is certainly ambitious, as sporadically filming a group of actors over the course of twelve years and making […]
The Perpetrators (BFI Flare 2023) bite-sized cinematic rumination on depictions of queerness and villainy (Review)
The Perpetrators is a ghost story. This is likely obvious to anybody familiar with the film’s concept, with its lead character being a pre-pubescent phantom, but beyond that, this 14-minute short is a tale of the collective ghosts of a queer past, ones which still continue to haunt the LGBTQ+ […]
The Whisper of Silence (2020) Fascinatingly Meditative Yet Risks Aimlessness at Times (Review)
The Whisper of Silence is the first film from El Salvador to be given a general release in the UK, and director Alfonso Quijada showcases the country in a way that is very attractive to the viewer. Normally an abundance of establishing shots would strike me as padding but here […]
The Killer (2022) Less John Woo, More John Wick (Review)
One of the disadvantages of mainly consuming western cinema is that when one encounters films from further afield, there is a temptation to find western equivalents. Then again, it is also fair to say that much of the cinematic output of China, Japan and Korea has been influenced by Hollywood, […]
V/H/S 99 (2022) Ambitious Latest Entry into Found Footage Anthology Franchise (Review)
“I think America’s got a huge rage revolution on the way. Everyone is so mad. Everyone’s Daddies got too rich.” CONTAINS SPOILERS Found footage is one of my favourite subgenres. It blurs the line between real and choreographed. The remnants of internet dark myths reverberate through every found footage endeavour. […]
The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future (2022)(Review)
No, you’re quite right, we need to address that title first. What kind of film do you think The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future might be? Some fusion of Disney singalong and science fiction, maybe, a cross between Home on the Range and Ulysses 31. Sadly, Francesca […]
The Outwaters (2022) A Brave New Nightmarish Hellscape for Found Footage (Review)
Four friends take a trip to the Mojave desert to film a music video, with the plan to camp out for a few days. What they find is a terrifying cosmic descent into fear, madness and murder When first approaching The Outwaters, as a fan of the found footage subgenre, […]
The Virgin Suicides (1999) – the haunting, silencing cries for help (Blu-Ray Review)
As gentle music plays across the opening moments (of the Virgin Suicides), a sunny day captures families playing outside within a sleepy suburb. This picture-perfect glimpse at the neighbourhood is contrasted with an indoor scene, as Cecilia Lisbon (Hanna R. Hall) – the youngest of five sisters – attempts suicide. […]
George A. Romero’s Martin (1977) Vampire horror through the hazy gaze of an Antisocial Creep (Review)
Martin (1977) is the fifth film from George Romero, coming hot on the heels of The Crazies (1973). It follows the eponymous Martin, a troubled young man who believes he is an 84-year-old vampire. This belief is endorsed by many of his family members who call him Nosferatu and spend […]