The past twelve months have been impressive for cinema, and this month’s Oscar judges will have some big decisions to make in order to rightfully reward the cinematic talent displayed on the big screen this […]
Is the gaming world ready to stand up for LGBTQ rights?
It is a truth universally acknowledged that to be anything other than a straight, white male in the world of video games will at some point wind up working against you, and as Gamergate continues […]
Big Hero 6 will make you laugh and warm your heart
Disney’s latest motion picture has no doubt been subject to much critical discussion after the success of its predecessor, Frozen. Whilst this film deters from the musical structure of classic Disney films released previously, Big […]
Occasionally, it’s worth giving the madman with a microphone a chance
When a middle-aged white man stands up in front of an audience and prepares to spend over an hour and a half shouting at you about feminism and multiculturalism, you’d be right to flinch. However, […]
Into The Woods takes a darker tone when it brings together fairy tales
Into The Woods is Disney’s next attempt at a darker fairy tale after the disappointingly average Maleficent. Thankfully, the film is an adaptation of the brilliant Stephen Sondheim’s musical and although not perfect, Into The […]
Are the U.S. war propaganda accusations against American Sniper justified?
Our hero, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) stands statuesque and heroic on a windswept battlefield. Shrouded by an American flag, he stares into the far distance determinedly. The poster for American Sniper certainly does nothing to […]
Eddie Redmayne gives a towering performance in The Theory of Everything
It’s fair to say that the Theory of Everything’s success or failure lies purely on the shoulders of Eddie Redmayne’s performance as world renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Fortunately, Redmayne more than lives up to […]
In Ex_Machina Alicia Vikander steals the show with unsettling artificiality
Alex Garland, frequent Danny Boyle collaborator and writer of The Beach and 28 Days Later, has started his own directing career on fine form with Ex-Machina. Although ostensibly a hard sci-fi exploration of the nature […]
Leeds Icons: The Parkinson Building
The Parkinson Building is nothing if not iconic. As much as we may take its monumental grey-stone facades for granted as we rush past to get to lectures, this grand, yet somehow tastefully understated building […]
Whiplash owes its success to J.K. Simmons’ performance
Originally conceived as a short film which premiered at 2013’s Sundance Film Festival, Whiplash is an exhilarating drama depicting 19-year-old Andrew Neimann’s passionate aspiration to become one of the world’s greatest drummers. After he is […]
Oscar Nominations Roundup: Best Supporting Actor & Actress
The most wonderful time of the year is upon us yet again: Oscar season. There’s some obvious resentment circling the Academy this year, as it fails to answer the hopes for a more diverse collection […]
We are Reese Witherspoon’s constant, lonely companions in Wild
The true story Wild opens with the protagonist Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) off-screen, panting in pain. She takes off her hiking boot to find her sock stained red: her toenail is hanging off. As we witness […]