Michael Haneke’s films have gained both critical acclaim and a certain notoriety; listing Funny Games, The White Ribbon, and Hidden amongst his works, Haneke – it is fair to suggest – does not flinch from his subject nor does he pander to the viewer. In Amour we are pitted against our own attitudes towards death and old age, our assumptions and…
“[Someone told me] ‘Live your dash. How are you gonna live your dash?’ I didn’t understand. ‘What are you talkin’ about.. dash?’ ‘It’s on your tombstone. You got your birthdate and you got the day that you’re deceased and you got that little dash in the middle. That’s your life right there. That’s everything between from…
The storied, extraordinary career of highly controversial film-maker Takashi Miike seems – upon closer inspection – to have finally taken a turn into the Japanese mainstream, following a leftfield career in extreme cinema that includes the likes of Audition (1999), Ichi the Killer (2001) and Gozu (2003) to name but a few. Whilst still retaining some…
“I believe even the most rational mind can play tricks in the dark…” Very few names in the history of cinema have the same evocative effect as that of Hammer Horror. In the 1950s, Hammer struck gold with a string of major box-office smashes in the horror genre – huge hit films such as the…
“The world will little note, nor remember what we say here…” – Abraham Lincoln, from the Gettysburg Address Timur Bekmambetov, the fifty year-old Russian-Kazakh director, is often accused of style-over-substance. His most successful films to date – Wanted and Night Watch – were slick, showy action-thrillers that were enjoyable enough for one sitting, despite being riddled by logical…
Two minimum-wage twenty-somethings – wannabe ghost-spotters in their spare time – attempt to capture the alleged ghostly goings-on of a soon-to-be-closed New England hotel, The Yankee Pedlar Inn. Director Ti West’s impressively understated film is bolstered by a great lead performance, an awesome original score and a genuine sense of creepiness throughout. Never one to…
The hugely popular Bourne series returns to UK cinemas this week, with high expectations after the critical and commercial success of the previous three films. The new film moves the story away from Jason Bourne and on to Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner, who takes the reigns as the new star of the franchise.…
The never-ending trend in modern cinema for remakes and updates – mentioned previously on these pages – appears to have hit the shores of Great Britain, too – is anywhere safe? – with tough 70s cop show The Sweeney receiving a revamp/reboot/update/remake for the year 2012. Would it be just another example of the daylight…
Deryn Paul O'Sullivan 