Considering his huge influence on American comedy, it’s surprising that Judd Apatow’s own directorial efforts are such a mixed bag. The 40- Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up were excellent but since then his films […]
Fantastic Flop
The worst thing about Fantastic Four (or, more idiotically Fant4stic) isn’t the terrible CGI (which ranges between 10 years ago-bad and Sci-Fi channel bad), the nonsensical structure or the stop-start pacing, nor is it the […]
Mission Improbable – Or, The Resurgence of Physical Filmmaking
Buster Keaton clasps to the cattle guard of a speeding locomotive, one small slip away from falling beneath the wheels. The year is 1927, and the actor is no stranger to risking life and limb […]
Robin Williams: An Underappreciated Star
Robin Williams holds a curious place in the cultural memory of the millennial generation. For an audience far too young to have any memory of the manic quick-fire impressions of his eighties stand-up heyday, he […]
Jurassic Competition: Park VS World
After its gargantuan success at the box office, Jurassic World has proved that now, as ever, children love dinosaurs. Jurassic World is on the brink of making $1.5 billion at the worldwide box-office, a huge […]
Monsters: Dark Continent reduces the all important monsters to background noise
Monsters was one of those rare films that totally surpassed expectations; it made a conscious decision to explore further than its B-movie sci-fi roots, was a character study and critique of US foreign policy and was heartfelt, intelligent […]
Vin Diesel plays it straight against sheer silliness in Furious 7
Vin Diesel is a man with no sense of irony. Whilst the majority of his Fast and Furious co-stars spend the non-car chase scenes in this 7th(!) entry in the long-running street racing/ 80’s action […]
A middle-aged Bond Girl: what’s the fuss?
The media applause over Monica Bellucci’s casting as the female lead in the new James Bond film as a huge positive step for the series is somewhat baffling. Praise for this decision, described by director […]
Coherence is extremely low budget and extremely good
Coherence is a testament to how much can be achieved with only a great idea and a group of talented actors. Made on a tiny budget with no special effects and only one location, the […]
Blackhat’s lack of a strong villain leaves it falling flat
For a film dealing with such a contemporary threat, Blackhat feels like it could have been made anytime in the last 25 years. The heroes say little and the villains wield assault rifles whilst riding […]
Selma makes sure it also shows the weaknesses of Martin Luther King
Biopics tend to follow two paths: turn the lives of complex individuals into simplified, crowd pleasing narratives (think Braveheart) or provide an honest portrayal of their subject: flaws intact. Much to its credit, Selma falls […]
Oscar Round-Up: Best Original and Adapted Screenplay
The award for Best Screenplay is always the least discussed of the ‘big five’ (which includes best film, actress, actor and director), but a strong script is essential to a film’s success, providing the framework […]