A fate worse than death: becoming a zombie – as seen in hundreds of movies about zombie invasions. Many are brilliant and some are so ridiculous and cheesy, but we can’t get enough of them, can we? Wyrmwood is another entry in the flesh-eating canon. I wasn’t expecting much from this micro-budget “B” movie, but it was one […]
Read more
Seedy underbellies, anti-heroes, plot twists and moral corruption: you can’t have a film noir without these can you? These highly-stylised crime dramas, which grew out of the 1940s “classic period”, are still alive today, thanks to some creative directors. To clear up any misconceptions, neo-noir is contemporary film noir, with updated themes and content, but […]
Read more
When you watch the trailer for It Comes At Night and read the tagline (“Fear turns men into monsters”), you’ll assume the film will be a straight horror. But actually, what you get is a low-key mystery about a family forced to take shelter after a virus has wiped out civilization. Set in a post-apocalyptic […]
Read more
Katherine Bigalow’s latest is Detroit – a madly unnerving film, which takes place during the American race riots in the summer of 1967. Police brutality, looting and civil unrest are presented in the most shocking way possible, and there’s nothing distancing about it. In the heat of the riots, a group of cops raid a low-rent motel […]
Read more
Hounds of Love is a brutal and brilliant film from Australia. Based on a true story, it’s a study of horror hiding in plain sight and there could hardly be a more disturbing film around. Viewing this, you’ll probably put your face in your hands, grimace and squirm in your seat. But why subject yourself to […]
Read more
The plot in Lights Out hinges on a simple concept – a demon you can only see in the dark. Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) and her little brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) are being stalked by this entity, which has a strange connection to their manic mother Sophie (Maria Bello). The central premise is what drew me. The idea […]
Read more
– Chuck Wepner: “…If I can survive the Marines, I can survive Ali.” Here’s the thing: before I watched the trailer for this film, I had never heard of Chuck Wepner. Now, I’m intrigued by him because of his turbulent life. He was a boxer that became the pride of his home town when he […]
Read more
About twenty minutes into this horror film, I was really surprised to be laughing. The Wailing starts out with slapstick comedy and buddy cop humour. Jong-goo (Do-won Kwak) bumbles his way through a murder investigation while trying to take care of his family. He’s a hilariously rubbish cop, but a likeable guy. Being Mr Nice Guy won’t […]
Read more
“Based on a true story” – how many times have we heard that? It’s the most overused tagline in cinema, but it never stops us from flocking to the theatres. It’s eye-catching and head-turning, I can never resist. (As long as I think the film looks like it will be good). So, I’m going back […]
Read more
Let’s face facts, when it comes to films, Quentin Tarantino does things his own way and he doesn’t care who he offends or annoys. (Just thought I’d put it out there.) Now, I’m not a die-hard QT fan. I like most of his films, but I don’t jump on the Tarantino train every day of […]
Read more
What would you do if you ran into an ex-partner at a supermarket? In Blue Jay, Jim (Mark Duplass) and Amanda (Sarah Paulson), two high school sweethearts catch up on old times, after they see each other in a grocery store. It’s clear these two have a troubled history. This film is quick to generate our interest. […]
Read more
Pure black comedy mixed with crime, murder and mayhem: welcome to Fargo. This film is another winner by the Coen Brothers, two directors that I love. Masters of offbeat, low-key cinema, they always know how to reinvent the wheel. Set in 80s Minnesota, Fargo starts off by telling the audience that what you’re about to see is based […]
Read more
Motion Picture Blog 