Harry Hill’s humour is rooted in nudge-wink end of the pier jokes and dark surrealism, so I was delighted to see that he’d created a short film, ‘The Jillon’, directed by Arthur Studholme. It’s everything you expected and a pinch of what you didn’t. It’s completely bonkers, but a shade darker than we’re used toContinue reading “Short Film Review: The Jillon”
Tag Archives: Film review
Film Review: Queer (2024)
Luca Guadagnino’s stunning film, based on William S Burroughs’ novel, has the cool, nocturnal colour palette of an Edward Hopper painting- at least for the first half. The second is febrile and fiery. Despite the anachronistic soundtrack (Sinead O’ Connor, Nirvana, New Order, Prince etc)it captures the druggy patina of fifties Mexico. Daniel Craig asContinue reading “Film Review: Queer (2024)”
Film Review: The Seventh Seal (1957)
A classic film which I- to my shame- finally caught for the first time last night, Ingmar Bergman’s film, meditating on death, life, spiritual emptiness, creation and purpose, sounds like an example of European doom on paper. But it’s multifaceted, with bawdy humour, lovely monochrome expressionism -inspired cinematography from Gunnar Fischer and a wonderful, livelyContinue reading “Film Review: The Seventh Seal (1957)”
Film Review: In Fabric (2019)
Are you being unnerved? There’s always been something creepy and a feeling of being stuck in a time warp about going through department stores. They are the cockroaches of the high street: nothing, but nothing,can kill them: not influencers, fashion blogs, or even ordering online. Still they stand, an uncanny relic of the past, stoic,Continue reading “Film Review: In Fabric (2019)”
Film Review: Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Jesus And Mary Chain, neon pink, Bauhaus poster, set of hair crimpers and a novelty telephone means we’re firmly in the 1980s, in a teen horror comedy. But this is penned by Diablo Cody, so it’s much smarter than your average ‘American Graffiti Risky Time Machine Scream’. In actual fact, it’s more like ‘Sexy Beetlejuice’.Continue reading “Film Review: Lisa Frankenstein (2024)”
Film Review: The Witch (2015)
Anya Taylor-Joy (above) as Thomasin and Kate Dickie (below) as her mother Kate. Robert Eggers doesn’t make conventional mainstream period films. Instead, like a spider spinning a complex, intricate web, the director creates moody pieces which mess with your subconscious state , unfurling at a stately pace. ‘The Witch’, set in the 1630s, has anContinue reading “Film Review: The Witch (2015)”
Film Review: The Substance (2024)
Coralie Fargeat’s horror film fights more than just the seven signs of ageing. Like a reverse Dorian Grey, Elisabeth Sparkle, an iconic aerobics instructor on TV (Demi Moore) is let go of by her sexist boss Harvey (Randy Quaid, hilarious and gross) for having the sheer audacity to simply age. Furious at being forced intoContinue reading “Film Review: The Substance (2024)”
Film Review: Late Night With The Devil (2023)
Who killed Mr Midnight? Well, the viewers, obviously. As once- popular seventies chat show host Jack Delroy’ s ratings slump, so, he needs to do something notorious to claw them back. A psychic, and sceptic conjurer based on James Randi should (literally) do the trick. David Dastmalchian excels as the obsequious Delroy: he’s classic sleazyContinue reading “Film Review: Late Night With The Devil (2023)”
Film Review: The Rolling Stones:Stones In Exile
Talk about first world problems. This insightful documentary from Stephen Kijak follows the (in)famous moment in rock history when The Stones were living as tax exiles in France in 1972, recording the classic, frankly brilliant ‘Exile On Main Street’ . Baked…and then there’s BAKED. Keef, chilling in the sun. In their fabulous interior at VilleContinue reading “Film Review: The Rolling Stones:Stones In Exile”
Film Review : Tar (2022)
Cate Blanchett gives an Oscar nominated performance as Lydia Tar, an *EGOT winning composer and conductor who is starting to spiral in real time. Written and directed by Todd Field,the film is an intense and claustrophobic study of genius, identity, cancel culture and the corrosive effects of social media. The camera acts effectively as aContinue reading “Film Review : Tar (2022)”