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The excitement of going to see a Scorsese film in the cinema is unparalleled. He has made some of the greatest films ever made, so going to a new one I felt like I could be witnessing history in real time. And this film fascinates over the course of its three and a half hours. […]
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Image description: film poster for ‘His Dark Materials’ In just a couple of years, I’ve seen a lot of TV shows and movies use the cobbled streets of Oxford as their backdrops. From Tolkien, to Killing Eve, to The Discovery of Witches, I’ve weaved my way through film crews, knowing that I could later annoy relatives […]
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Picking your favourite film is a very difficult task indeed. When getting to know somebody, presenting an elaborate list of every film you’ve ever considered interesting or meaningful isn’t the best way for them to understand you better. So, if I had to pick a favourite film, it just might be Handsome Devil. Released in […]
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Silent films have always intimidated me. At first glance they seem outdated and inaccessible, only useful for studying a bygone era of cinema. Most people who aren’t film critics or academics struggle with the idea of watching a film which lacks one of the key elements of any modern production. For my part, I assumed […]
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I won’t lie, when I first saw the running time for Sübverse I was skeptical. A sketch that can maintain audience interest for over 90 minutes is an impressive feat even for the most seasoned of comedians. And yet, it quickly became apparent that my fears were misplaced. Sübverse was consistently entertaining and hilarious, and […]
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The majority of the people who know me are aware that I love Scream. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best horror films ever made. It manages to tackle meta-humour, whilst still creating compelling characters and a creepy atmosphere. For that alone it occupies a special place in my heart. However, my […]
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What is the relationship between modern films and climate change? Ask most people this question and they’ll say that there’s little overlap. Too few films have tackled the issue and cinema in general is often seen as a means of escape, a place to take a break from the real world. Others acknowledge that cinema […]
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Brad Pitt is having a bit of a moment in 2019. Following on from his star turn in one of the other biggest films of the year, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he now carries the much-hyped Ad Astra on his hunky shoulders. Both performances are studies in restraint, portraying capable yet closed-off professional […]
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I was curious to see what Simon Bird (of Inbetweeners fame) would make of his directorial debut. I expected a comedy, but perhaps not one as touching as this. Set in an “everytown” somewhere in the Midlands, the film’s plot is simple. Daniel lives with his divorced mother in an English suburb and can’t wait […]
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From Dracula (1958) to The Devil Rides Out (1968), in their 82 year history, Hammer Films Productions have produced some of the most iconic British horror films released in the 20th century. The Man Who Could Cheat Death isn’t one of those films. One of the lesser known entries of the production company’s output, it’s […]
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A well timed family holiday to Toronto meant I was fortunate enough to attend the 44th Toronto International Film Festival. It’s interesting to first note that every film began with a thanks to the indigenous tribes that owned the land where the theatre stood. This is was a welcome recognition of First Nation peoples, one […]
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“It’s true what they say. Rich people really are different.” This is the message of Ready or Not, the second film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett who’s previous credits include the horror anthology V/H/S (2012). Samara Weavings stars as Grace, a young woman marrying into the uber-wealthy “Le Domas” family. Instead of being […]
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Quentin Tarantino’s passion for cinema has always been a dominant presence in his work. It’s there in his use of pastiche, in his references to other films and in his gleeful engagement with genre tropes. In his latest effort, it’s more evident than it ever has been. His ninth film, Once Upon a Time in […]
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There is nothing I want more in the world right now than one of the pyjama suits worn in ‘Spooky Mormon Hell Dream’. The red, Grinch-like, pointy-toed costumes look cosy as well as fashionable. This dance number was accompanied by some of the most evil people from throughout history performing sex acts on each other […]
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Image description: The cast of the Cats musical on Broadway Hollywood’s recent obsession with CGI felines has me concerned. What with Disney’s entirely CGI realised remake of The Lion King, and Universal‘s first look at the rather disturbingly rendered humanoid cats of Cats (2019), they’re everywhere and they’re causing consternation amongst film fans, especially myself. […]
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I’m sure we all remember the pithy response that Georgia, in Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, is given as a reason for why she shouldn’t have dressed up as an olive to a fancy-dress party. “Boys don’t like girls for funniness”. Although a throwaway line in an admittedly sub-par noughties romcom, this nonetheless taps into […]
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Ahhh, the long vacation. At last, examinations and coursework assessments are behind us and we are finally permitted to relax. Well, with the slight aside of vacation reading that is. In order to fully escape from the clutches of such texts and memories of those ever more muggy libraries, many of us may be tempted […]
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Warning: Major spoilers ahead. The online petition to remake the final season of the most expensive, illegally downloaded television series of all time has currently received over 1.5 million signatures. Its creator, Dylan D, implores viewers to remedy the ‘woefully incompetent’ writing of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. But is all of this backlash deserved? […]
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The dishevelled set promises exactly what the voyeur is here to see: drugs; sex; cigarettes; fishnets and feistiness. There will be no taboo left unshaken here. The steady rhythm seeps onto the stage and the hustlers are infected, masterfully delivering their dance of life in the 1980s streets of LA. A captivating introduction into the […]
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