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: 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)”

The Oscar Problem

Oscar Branning, portrayed by Pierre Counihan-Boullier, in ‘Eastenders’, has to be one of TV’s most problematic characters in decades. Oversexed and manipulative, he represents the bisexual representation problem. In fact, he embodies it. Flitting between two lovers, Jasmine and Josh, who both happen to be twins, he goes to one- or both- of them whenContinue reading “The Oscar Problem”

Dolly Forever

Dolly has left us. What can we say that hasn’t already been said? Singer, songwriter, philanthropist, icon, champion of LGBTQI rights, Grammy Award winner, Hollywood Star of Fame winner, actor, theme park creator. 100 million records sold worldwide, endlessly quotable, forever recognised, and not bad for a lil gal who grew up- the fourth childContinue reading “Dolly Forever”

Film Review : Bardot

Quelle desastre! Alain Berliner’s documentary on Brigitte Bardot, which traces her turbulent childhood in a straitlaced Catholic family, to becoming the ultimate French sex siren, to animal rights activist living in La Madrague, St. Tropez in her dotage, is an utter hagiography. You’d think she walked on water. Rushing through her childhood , where weContinue reading “Film Review : Bardot”

Kate Bush’s Influences

Pics of Kate Bush: John Carder Bush J W Waterhouse, ‘The Lady of Shallot’. Kate Bush was always upfront in her literary and artistic influences. She essayed The Brontes of course, but also Tennyson, Shakespeare and John William Waterhouse. Her Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic was unique in a time of punk, prog and so on, but theContinue reading “Kate Bush’s Influences”

My Most Overlooked Classic: Les Amants du Pont Neuf

Often, I think this may be my favourite film of all time. It’s between this and ‘Paris,Texas’ because of the way the mood resonates. ‘Wings Of Desire’ is another example. Leos Carax has the reputation for being an opaque, somewhat self-indulgent director. ‘Holy Motors’, for example, is batshit crazy and experimental to almost the pointContinue reading “My Most Overlooked Classic: Les Amants du Pont Neuf”

Film Review: Gene Kelly-An American In Hollywood

Claudia Collao’s exuberant documentary on the great actor, dancer and film maker Gene Kelly looks at his rise to stardom, quest for innovation in all that he did, and above all, his egalitarian attitude that dance should be accessible to everyone, no matter where they came from. As someone who had grown up in hard-scrabbleContinue reading “Film Review: Gene Kelly-An American In Hollywood”

Overlooked Classic: Plan 9 From Outer Space

Ah, pity poor misunderstood Ed Wood Jr. He was a man with a dream, a love of pink angora, and a movie camera. No matter that he barely scraped a storyboard together: in his head IT ALL MADE SENSE. Let’s ignore his dreadful nudie cutie film nonsense and zoom in on his masterwork, For thereContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Plan 9 From Outer Space”