DoorsofDylan Reviews

Where the Witch Lives (2022)

Where the Witch Lived.

[9/10 · 23 May 2024]

After the sweet zombie Comedy Ten of Swords (2023-also reviewed), I decided to continue exploring the bundle of shorts at the online part of the Soho Horror Film Festival, by finding out where the witch lives.

Note: review contains some plot details.

View on the film:

Welcoming Cassie to the new family home, writer/director Mariel Sharp & cinematographer Charlie Laigneau casts a superb, brittle eerie atmosphere, via razor dolly and whip-pan shots diving into the cracks starting to appear in the family.

Stepping outside for an icy set-piece in the lake, Sharp displays a sharp eye for ultra-stylized lighting, with the bright, flickering primary colours, shedding light on an ominous presence occupying the house.

Caught in the middle between her mum and younger sister, Lake Delisle gives a wonderful performance as Cassie, thanks to Delisle emphasising in her facial expressions Cassie's sinking fear of something haunting the household.

Casting a spell over the family, the screenplay by Sharp superbly digs into the psychological dread of the parental bond being destroyed, and the child having a growing suspicion that their parent does not have good intentions, on the witching hour.

Ten of Swords (2023)

Swords of ten.

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

After the chilling Bride of the Night (2023-also reviewed), I decided to continue watching the bundle of short films at the online part of the Soho Horror Film Festival, and got set to see ten swords drawn.

Note: Review contains some plot details.

View on the film:

Waking up as a worker drone zombie to discover that everything promised turned out to be a lie, writer/ director Faye Jackson displays an impressive inventiveness of capturing the failure to communicate between humans and zombies, via the audio of the human dialogue being played backwards, and the perspective from humans of the talking zombies, being that of grunts and bellowing.

Tearing them out of their yellow worker jumpsuits, Jackson unleashes a ripe Horror Comedy atmosphere of glossy tracking shots following the zombies fleeing the workplace, spinning to jagged push-ins on the dripping red gore.

Slaves to the grind, the screenplay by Jackson gives the terrific ensemble cast playful one-liners discussing their frustrations at the workplace, which highlights the biting social commentary of them all being treated as worker drones, who if they dare to speak up, are threatened with being put in the zombie meat grinder.

Night of the Bride (2023)

Bride of the night.

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

After dialing up the terror of *666 (2022-also reviewed) I decided to continue explore the shorts bundle at the online Soho Horror Film Festival, by meeting the bride.

Note: Review contains some plot details.

View on the film:

Sitting with the bride to be, (played by an excellent Gurleen Arora, whose facial expressions captures the horror of being dragged down the aisle) writer/ director Virat Pal locks the audience in tightly framed mid-shots pinned on the towering power the family of the groom believe they have, which Pal shatters with a delicious twist of glowing dissolves and nifty CGI.

Wisely holding back on the supernatural element until the ending, the screenplay by Pal unveils a disturbing psychological horror of forced/arranged marriage, where everyone tries to force the woman into believing that she has no choice at all, until Pal turns the wedding vows into a wicked vengeance tale,on the night of the bride.

Wetherspoons vs Toby Carvery: Which is Better? (2024 TV Special)

No one likes a sad looking sausage."

[6/10 · 10 May 2024]

Whilst waiting for a delayed train, I decided to take a look at what TV titles were trending on social media. Aware of the fast turnaround documentaries Channel 5 do, I was intrigued by the amusing discussions going on about this documentary, which led to me picking up a Toby Jug.

View on the film:

Thankfully avoiding the easy chance to go for a sarcastic tone, the classy narration by John Thomson, director Simon Newton serves up, with whip-pans landing on going behind the scenes of the kitchens during rush hour, highlighting the professionalism of the staff when under pressure. Placing a focus on Wetherspoons, Newton does very well at highlighting the great restoration work that the company has done, in converting the likes of cinemas into pubs, whilst retaining as much of the original historical design of the buildings as possible.

Heated up for an hour, Newton struggles to avoid making the impression of everything being dragged out for the running time. This becomes most visible, in a bizarre sequence dedicated to the carpets of Wetherspoons (whose reputation for putting their toilets as far away from the centre of the pub, oddly gets no mention at all.)

Coming from a background of writing on cookery for the likes of the BBC, Philippa Davis takes a welcomed down to earth approach when reviewing the food from Toby Carvery and Wetherspoons, with Davis highlighting all the food being well cooked. Going out to try the food and the drink on site, Newton makes the rather unusual choice, of using what appears to be a hidden camera, to film Davis having a pint outside a Wetherspoons.

Lot No. 249 (2023 TV Movie)

Job lot.

[6/10 · 20 April 2024]

To celebrate the New Year, I started planning for what my first viewing of the year would be. Spending part of 2023 writing my first short story in tribute to the old BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas, I felt it would be fitting, to open the year, by opening lot 249.

View on the film:

Surprisingly making The Mummy fully visible for large passages of the short film and featuring a welcomed cameo from Horror cinema expert Jonathan Rigby, writer/director Mark Gatiss reunion with cinematographer Kieran McGuigan peels open a chilly Gothic Horror atmosphere, drenched in shadows that shatter when a grisly looking mummified hand breaks through.

Threading Smith (played with a tightly coiled string of terror by Kit Harington, reuniting with Gatiss after Game of Thrones) being unable to free himself from an increasing sinking fear, Gatiss & McGuigan push Smith further into the darkest corner of the room with extreme close-ups heightening the claustrophobia.

Although the first in his Ghost Story for Christmas run to not be an M. R. James adaptation, Mark Gatiss is unable to shake off his grating habit, of believing that he is cleverer then Arthur Conan Doyle's original writing, most prominently visible in a painfully forced link to Sherlock Holmes. Moving all the pieces of the tale around in order to nod towards his own work on Holmes, Gatiss undermines the seeping dread, over the Mummy possibly coming to life, when Smith decides to study lot 249.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022 TV Special)

Guarding Christmas.

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

Getting back home after delivering an eBay order on New Year's Eve, I got in the mood to watch something a bit festive on the last day of the year. Having found Vol 3 (also reviewed) to be stunning earlier in the year, I felt it was the perfect time to go on holiday with the Guardians.

View on the film:

Stumbling round Hollywood searching for Hollywood megastar Kevin Bacon, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff give glittering, hilarious performances as Drax and Mantis, thanks to Bautista's physical slap-stick being balanced by Klementieff's snappy one-liners and high-kicking enthusiasm for finding Bacon for Quill, while Kevin Bacon gives a very amusing fish out of water turn, as he finds himself spending Christmas in a different galaxy.

Flying halfway across the galaxy while Fairytale of New York plays over the opening credits, writer/directing auteur James Gunn & The Legend of Tarzan (2016-also reviewed) cinematographer Henry Braham continue to build on the complex, ultra-stylised one-take shots of The Suicide Squad (2021-also reviewed), with weaving camera moves scanning Mantis and Drax put all humans who attempt to stand in their way to sleep.

Sweeping down to a shiny red and yellow backdrop, Gunn sets the notes for what was to come in Vol 3, with a cheerful all singing and all dancing final, which in crisp whip-pans Gunn reveals The Guardians to discover the meaning of Christmas, and of their friendships.

Placing an emphasis on Drax and Mantis searching for Kevin Bacon, the screenplay by Gunn, (who had been wanting to make a Guardians Holiday Special for years) merrily keeps everything small-scale, opening up a delightful focus on the deep bonds of friendship growing between The Guardians.

Departing from the MCU template by not featuring a boo-hiss villain, Gunn instead draws on sweet, under-stated moments of Quill teaching his fellow Guardians the meaning of Christmas, whilst bouncing one-liners between the misunderstanding Drax and Mantis, who try to make Christmas special for Quill.

Strictly Dishonorable (1931)

Strictly Honorable.

[7/10 · 30 March 2024]

With Christmas in 2023 coming up,I began looking for a title that I could watch with my dad on the day. Finding The Miracle of Morgan's Creek 1943-also reviewed) to be stunning, I was happy to find a DVD had tracked down a title written by Preston Sturges. This led to a dishonorable festive viewing.

View on the film:

One of the 36 founding members of the Oscars, director John M. Stahl & Metropolis (1927-also reviewed) cinematographer (joined by an uncredited Jackson Rose) Karl Freund disappointingly stay close to the stage-bound origins of the project, via long-take mid-shots with limited movement, which makes everything far too visible, of being filmed on a set.

Attempting to bring a Screwball Comedy energy to the tale with panning shots outside the building matching the back and fourth exchanges taking place at the windows, Stahl, Rose and Freund struggle to get the camera moving smoothly, resulting in awkward, jittering stop/ start camera movements, that feel out of place with the playful dialogue.

Universal paying the joint highest fee (in this era) of $125,000 for a literary property, (the other being RKO for Cimarron (1931) ) results in the screenplay by Good Girls Go To Paris (1939-also reviewed) writer Gladys Lehman wisely retaining the one-liner zingers from the original play by Preston Sturges, which bounce around in the Pre-Code era from the Speakeasy to the master bedroom.

An Opera singer in the original Sturges play, (his second for Broadway, written after he was fired as an assistant stage manager for the touring production of play called Frankie and Johnny ) the changes Lehman makes, bring out a wicked touch of deep fried Southern Melodrama, via the battle of the sexes double entendres criss-crossing Gus, Henry The Judge, as they try to woo Isabelle.

As sober as a judge, Lewis Stone gives a hilarious performance as The Judge, who Stone has bellow each amusing exchange with a stuck-up pompousness, that burst with each dismissal of his self-assumed charms by Isabelle. Tragically killing herself at just 34 years old, Sidney Fox gives a sparkling turn as Isabelle, a Southern belle who Fox has glitters with a self-awareness in her put-downs towards all the self-important men with their strictly dishonorable intentions.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

"Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing. But it is necessary now to make a choice, to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless ,distinguishable."

[10/10 · 16 March 2024]

Talking to a friend a few weeks ago in a pub, he mentioned about not having seen Dr. Strangelove for years. Despite having heard about the title for years,I for some reason have never got round to seeing the movie. Going to CEX earlier this week, I spotted a special edition box set, containing a DVD of the film, and the novel it is based on. This led to me getting set to finally enter the War Room.

View on the film:

Reading every book he could find at the time about nuclear war, the screenplay by co-writer (with future Easy Rider scriptwriter Terry Southern, and novelist Peter George) / directing auteur Stanley Kubrick takes George's serious novel, (written under an alias, whilst George was in the RAF) and magnificently transforms it, into what Kubrick would later call a "nightmare comedy."

Finding gallows humour in the "balance of terror", the writers take the countdown to armageddon to a gleefully absurdist level, which ignites from the moment Mandrake confiscates all privately owned radios from staff on the army base, and lands on in-fighting in the War Room, as Dr. Strangelove smiles, when one plane with a nuke reaches its target.

Giving the performers a level of freedom which almost would be completely gone from all of Kubrick's future work, via the cast being encouraged to improvise large portions of dialogue, George C. Scott gives a cracking turn as Gen. Turgidson, who Scott (who whilst filming, did not like how over the top Kubrick was trying to push his performance) has tripping and falling round The War Room from every foghorn blasts made in his dialogue delivery.

Making his film debut, James Earl Jones gives a charming performance as Zogg, capturing the boiling hot tension Zogg is coming under, whilst Slim Pickens gives an utterly psychotronic turn as Kong, raising his cowboy hat and howling, as he rides the bomb drop.

Costing over half the budget, (Kubrick later said in response that "I got three for the price of six.") Peter Sellers gives a hilarious trio of performances as Strangelove, Muffley and Mandrake, who Sellers holds up with a stiff upper lip, what ho dead-pan delivery of the dialogue while the clock countdown to armageddon. Attempting to make clear to the Soviets that a slight mishap has happened with the nukes, Sellers digs into Muffley's frustrations in The War Room, which reach boiling point, when he is given options by his Generals over the level of the fallout.

Rolling out of the shadows of The War Room, Sellers gives a maniacal turn in the title role, whose cackling vocal tone is used by Sellers to bring out a macabre glee, from Strangelove becoming giddy at the incoming nuclear wipeout.

Pointing towards Full Metal Jacket in the battle scenes being launched with stylish hand-held camera moves and a rough, contrasting news stock footage appearance, director Kubrick masterfully fires the parting shot. Told by the Pentagon that they would not cooperate in the making of the film, Kubrick & Operation Bullshine (1959-also reviewed) cinematographer Gilbert Taylor take advantage of this freedom, by opening The War Room to a jet-black satirical atmosphere, via refine wide-shots capturing every corner of the imposing sets by Dr. No (also reviewed) production designer Ken Adam.

Gazing towards Strangelove unleashing his signature Kubrick Stare as rumblings of fighting break out in The War Room, Kubrick lays out every stage of the final countdown with fantastic panning shots over everyone arguing across the table in The War Room, towards the pilots setting their sights on hitting the target, as Strangelove falls in love, with the bomb.

Inception (2010)

Inception: The 35MM Screening.

[10/10 · 12 March 2024]

After seeing The Matrix (1999-also reviewed) in 35MM at The Electric Cinema in Birmingham, (the oldest cinema in the UK) I was happy to learn of another upcoming 35MM screening taking place at the venue. Last having seen the movie on DVD in 2011, I picked up a Ginception cocktail, and got set to intercept.

View on the film: Leading the team through each level of the dreams after a charming appearance from Sir Michael as his wise teacher Miles, Leonardo DiCaprio gives an excellent performance as Cobb, who gains the trust of Robert Fischer, (played with a live-wire nervousness by Cillian Murphy, a regular collaborator with the film maker) by covering himself with the charms of a gentleman thief. Desperately trying to stop his memories from entering the dreams, DiCaprio chips away at Cobb's shield, until the years of guilt and grief that Cobb has been pushing down, pour out, and risks leaving the team stuck in a nightmare.

The first of two times he would work with the film maker, Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a very good performance as Arthur, with Gordon-Levitt, (who after working with her on Havoic (2005-also reviewed), reunited with Anne Hathaway on Dark Knight Rises) expressing Arthur's quick-witted ingenuity, to keep the dreams up in the air. Also starting a run with the film maker, Tom Hardy gives a wonderful performance as Eames, who stands out in the team, thanks to Hardy giving Eames a nice line in dead-pan sarcasm, which becomes more visible, as Eames begins to questions Cobb's plans on how to get through the dream levels.

Spending almost 8 years dreaming of doing this project, writer/ directing auteur Christopher Nolan & his regular cinematographer of this era Wally Pfister bring Cobb, his team and Robert Fischer's dreams to life against the backdrop of Hans Zimmer's thunderous score. Nolan unveils weaving revolving camera moves, around razor-sharp symmetric image compositions, (both major recurring motifs of Nolan's) creating a brittle Thriller atmosphere, when everyone begins to become submerged in the dreams.

Inspired by On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969-also reviewed) for the snowy final, Nolan and Pfister make the Action set-pieces shine, via gliding panning shots displaying the masterful blend of CGI and practical effects, which land on unsettling wide-shots, capturing the weight of water crashing through the dreams.

Attacking Cobb and the team with the fear of a dream turning into a nightmare, Nolan experiments with the altering of film speeds, (something he would continue exploring in Tenet (2020-also reviewed)) for the cracking, gravity-defying hand-to-hand combat sequences, which emphasis the disorientating state each team member becomes gripped by, when they discover that if they get killed in a fight when dreaming, they will die in real life.

Intercepting a business deal, the screenplay by Nolan wonderfully blends the Heist Thriller genre with mind-bending Sci-Fi, thanks to Nolan drawing detailed outlines of the unique ability that each team member possess, (from Ariadne's maze making and Arthur's technical skills, to Cobb's slick image, getting everyone to stay on track towards the end goal) which gloriously go haywire, from the curveballs of the dreams placing the bonds of the team under intense pressure, when they stand on the edge, of questioning their realites.

Taking a lift to (as it is called in the film) the "prison" of Cobb's mind, Nolan superbly strips away the team, in order to explore the troubled, lonely portrait of Cobb. Tearing himself apart as he struggles to restrain his memories from seeping into the dreams built for Robert Fischer, Nolan unveils that behind Cobb's obsession to perform the perfect heist, is a suffocating guilt, fueled by a grief that Cobb is refusing to confront and mourn, (major recurring themes in Nolan's works) instead locking it all behind bars, until he is intercepted.

G.B.H. (1983)

A Tribute To Guy Morgan: GBH (1983).

[10/10 · 11 March 2024]

Before he tragically passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm at just age 46 on March 11th 2019, this had been a title that family friend Guy Morgan regularly talked about, since I had been able to track the film down for Guy online in Christmas 2018.

One thing I vividly recall, is Guy saying that he was unable to take his eyes off the screen, due to how utterly strange this movie is. Along with watching Guy's all time favourite film again: The Thing (1982-also reviewed), I decided to pay tribute on the anniversary of Guy's death, by meeting Cliff Twemlow for the first time.

View on the film:

Barging in as his theme song Mancunian Man blurs into a wah-wah Funk rip-off of John Barry's theme for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969-also reviewed), the love to put Manchester on the big screen, that stuntman/composer/ writer/lead actor Cliff Twemlow has, shines as brightly as the love Tony Wilson had in making the city a star on the music scene.

Working as a nightclub bouncer, Twemlow & director David Kent-Watson attempt to cut through the warm VHS fuzz and give the nightclubs a dangerous glamour, via gliding panning shots over the floor of the Zoo nightclub whilst Donovan charms all the ladies, going outdoors to shoot-outs on the rooftop of The Rainbow Rooms.

Inbetween unexpected homo-erotic slo-mo seqrences and illegal hand-held camera-moves on the streets of Manchester, (where locals look straight at the camera, as they walk through scenes of Donovan talking to gangsters) and despite the editing looking like it was done with a nail gun, the action set-pieces shine with a fantastic homemade quality.

Rolling from close-ups of Donovan's toned abs withstanding any punches thrown at it, Kent-Watson and Twemlow keep the delightfully amusing on a roll, jumping from tomato sauce blood being spread across the screen with each thump Donovan hands out to a local heavy, to a hilarious awkward attempt at a car chase.

Surrounded by wonderful local faces as thugs, (including a snarling John Saint Ryan as John Saint Ryan) Twemlow shines in his performance as Donovan, visibly appearing happy when saying one of the 007-style one-liners that he had written whilst beating up gangsters.

Referencing Charles Bronson in his rough and ready screenplay, Twemlow takes his own nightclub bouncer background, into a wish fulfillment territory, where Donovan gets the girls with a smile, and becomes a one man army, fighting to save the night clubs of Manchester.

Darkness by Day (2013)

Day by darkness.

[8/10 · 8 March 2024]

Looking round for a Horror title that me and a friend could enjoy in the run-up to Halloween,I was pleased to spot on a self an intriguing-sounding film I had picked up years ago, after reading Kim Newman's review for it in UK movie magazine Empire, leading to me letting the darkness in.

View on the film:

Casting an apocalyptic mist over the rabies outbreak skyline, composer Jorge Chikiar unveils a textured, Ambient score, which carves out an atmosphere of slow-burn dread, as darkness falls on Julia. Gazing into Julia's eyes as the disease eats away, director Martin De Salvo & cinematographer Nicolas Trovato sit in the family home with excellent, long take wide-shots listening in on the breakdown of the family.

Covering the walls of the house with flakes of dried blood, De Salvo & Trovato cut through the infected haze with ultra-stylized whip-pans, first person tracking shots, and foreboding, refine close-ups, on Julia and Virginia dancing to a lesbian romance, until distorted, narrow corridor shots, framing Virginia as a vampire-style creature, lurking in the darkest corner of the house, on her own.

Bringing light into the trim 78 minute run time, Marta Lubos and Romina Paula give hypnotic performances as Virginia and Julia, thanks to both of them capturing the burning fear that entangles them into a a romantic embrace, until the suffocating doom, seeps in and drowns them out. Sketching out a rabies outbreak leaving the town sparse, the feature film debut screenplay by Josefina Trotta paints a brittle, bleak cabin fever picture, of all the warmth, support and love Julia and Virginia share with their family, being decayed by darkness.

The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix: The 35MM Screening.

[10/10 · 29 February 2024]

1999:

Unable to watch the film at the cinema due to not being old enough, my parents very kindly ordered it on Sky Box Office. Beginning to become really interested in cinema, after seeing what remains my all time favourite film: The Mask of Zorro (1998-also reviewed), I played the video of this TV recording until it was worn out, thanks to The Matrix, being unlike anything I had seen before,with The Matrix Revisited two disc set, being the first DVD I purchased.

2023:

Staying overnight in Birmingham for the screening of Kennedy (2023-also reviewed) at the Birmingham Indian Film Festival,I took a look at what was being screened at The Electric, (the oldest cinema in the UK) and was excited to find a 35MM showing of The Matrix was going to take place. Not having seen it since going to the midnight screening of The Matrix Reloaded in 2003, I got ready to re-enter The Matrix.

View on the film:

A manifestation of the merciless Matrix, Hugo Weaving gives an absolutely mesmerizing performance as Smith, whose business elite dialogue is delivered with an underlying passive-aggression, towards all those Smith views as a virus, attempting to destroy The Matrix. Finding Mr. Anderson unwilling to back-down, Weaving, (who later said he was inspired by how newscasters deliver news) expresses in gradual shifts in his body language, the frustration building within Smith, which burst out, when he takes a hands-on approach to dealing with Neo.

Becoming The One by learning from Carrie-Anne Moss's high-kicking, unwavering belief as Trinity, Laurence Fishburne giving Morpheus a sternness, which makes crystal clear that he is leading this part of the resistance, and Joe Pantoliano deliciously snarling as Cypher, Keanu Reeves gives an excellent performance, which captures the transformation of Neo.

Introduced by a green computer screen reflecting on his face as he sleeps in flat/room number 101, Reeves expresses Neo's curiosity of breaking away from the office space he works in, and going down the rabbit hole. Shown learning the new skills he gains from leaving The Matrix one by one, Reeves visibly displays an infectious enthusiasm, which shines in every killer slo-mo Kung-Fu take-down.

Discussed a few years later in The Matrix Revisited (2001) doc about how they put everything which had inspired them into the mix, of their first film to have a good size medium budget, co-writers/co-directors the Wachowski's & Alita: Battle Angel (2019-also reviewed) cinematographer Bill Pope go in with all guns blazing, glazing the screen in a green tint Cyberpunk/ Sci-Fi Techno-Thriller atmosphere, ignited by stylish whip-pans round the chic-dressed Neo and Trinity running to escape The Matrix.

Holding Trinity in mid-air during the attention-grabbing opening, the Wachowski's, Bill Pope and visual effects supervisor John Gaeta unleash astonishing Action set-pieces, exploding from the Heroic Bloodshed-inspired ultra-stylized Bullet Time and the heighten reality of Wire Fu, to a spectacular helicopter crash, shattering the pixels of The Matrix. Intelligently, the makers contrast the off the wall Action, with realistic settings such as a grubby train station and office corridors, giving the fighting scenes a rough and tumble edge.

Writing fourteen drafts of the script and getting storyboards done for the entire movie before filming began, the screenplay by the Wachowski's burns with the dedication and passion they had both placed on the title.

Taking the Sci-Fi rubber reality genre into fears of what was to come in the year 2000, the Wachowski's masterfully weave philosophical and technological questions, (with AI being mentioned as a prominent feature machines use to control humans) Body Horror that looks back to their days writing the Hellraiser comics, and a absolutely thrilling hero rises from the unknown Action tale, when Neo discovers what is The Matrix.

Bottoms (2023)

"Started from the bottom now we're here."

[6/10 · 28 February 2024]

Travelling down to town in order to sort out some problems I was having with UPS, I decided afterwards to check and see what was playing at the local cinema. Discovering that the screening of this title was about to begin, I got ready to get to the bottom of things.

View on the film:

Entering the school to meet every clique from the Geeks to the Jocks, co-writer (with lead actress Rachel Sennott) / director Emma Seligman & her regular cinematographer Maria Rusche, (who had to shoot in an abandoned school, after no open school would give them permission to film) teach the students an animated atmosphere, via dolly and panning shots gliding next to the (knowingly) over the top, bellowing Jocks, landing on Josie and PJ rolling with the punches in the fight club.

Turning the high school football pitch into a brawl for all final, Seligman and Rusche stylishly use slo-mo to give the funny Action Comedy set-pieces a bone-crushing crunch, and rapid-fire zoom-in close-ups, to heighten the High School drama of the unraveling fight club.

Opening the school gates with the impression of being an absurdist kitsch take on High School, the screenplay by Sennott and Seligman sadly struggle to bind the comedic (which includes a Treaty of Versailles joke ) and the dramatic smoothly together. Drawing cartoon outlines for all of the bottoms, ("bottoms" meaning someone who relinquishes control during sex) the writers rather abrupt move to take the tale in a more serious direction, ends up leaving the jokes feeling awkwardly out of place.

Getting into the fight music with two great performances by Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri as PJ and Josie , (along with a scene-stealing Marshawn Lynch, who improvised his dialogue) the writers appear more at ease when exploring the inner drama of the cliques, thanks to the exposure of Josie and PJ establishing a fight club under a guise, to use it to get fellow high school girls to have sex with them, leading to them explosively destroying all trust they had built with their fellow pupils, as PJ and Josie find themselves back at the bottom.

The Great Escaper (2023)

RIP Glenda Jackson.

[7/10 · 27 February 2024]

Originally planning to see Saw X on the big screen in the run-up to Halloween,I began to see a good amount of praise for this title, which led to me putting the saw aside, and going to meet an escape artist.

View on the film:

In her last film appearance, Glenda Jackson gives an excellent performance as Irene, whose love for her husband Bernard is expressed by Jackson with poignant, understated warmth, that Jackson binds with a strong, playful side prickly side, made visible by Jackson when care workers attempt to make Irene comfortable to their planned routine.

Making his final voyage across the sea to France for the 70th anniversary of D-day, Sir Michael gives a heart-wrenching performance as Bernie, with the decades of PTSD that Bernie has suffered, being expressed in private moments of anguish, which Sir Michael delicately holds with a stoicism and a comedic dry wit.

The first non-Comedy he has done since Dorian Gray in 2009, director Oliver Harper & Cats (2019-also reviewed) cinematographer Christopher Ross skillfully avoid the sentimental, to instead go for a more heartfelt atmosphere, via close-ups on Bernard's shaking hands and the sound design of the WWII flashbacks having ripple effect, emphasizing the painful, lasting impact the war has had on Bernard and his fellow veterans. Entering the retirement home, Harper displays the longing love Irene has for Bernard with refine close-ups, which are smooth paired with amusing wide-shots, as the nurses discover Bernard has gone on a trip.

Racing against time to attend the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the screenplay by William Ivory thoughtfully explores the lasting trauma of all the D-Day veterans, who Ivory has attempting to keep it under the surface, with Bernard showing compassion and empathy, to all the other veterans he is aware have the same struggles as him. Whilst separating them by the sea, Ivory wonderfully highlights the longing, deeply held love that the couple share, when Bernard goes on a great escape.

Three Stops to Murder (1953)

Mr. Mercedes.

[6/10 · 26 February 2024]

Taking a look at Talking Pictures free online catch-up service, I was surprised to spot a title directed by Terence Fisher that I had not heard of before, was about to leave the site, leading to me peeling the blood orange.

View on the film:

Detailed in the wonderful Terence Fisher: Master of Gothic Cinema by Tony Dalton that this was the movie which wrapped up the filmmaker's first contract with Hammer studio, directing auteur Terence Fisher & his regular cinematographer of this era Walter J. Harvey bring the hammer down, and point towards what was to come from Hammer.

Drenching the opening robbery in Film Noir low-lighting, Fisher casts his distinctive ominous atmosphere in wonderful, extended dialogue-free sequences gliding towards sharp panning shots landing on a murder set-piece, and stylish tracking shots, staying next to the private investigator unraveling the case.

Joined by the marvelous Delphi Lawrence, Michael Ripper, Richard Wattis and (possibly) Christine Forrest, Tom Conway gives a very good performance as, Tom Conway, with Conway capturing Conway's hard-nose, Noir loner determination, whilst The Rules of the Game (1939-also reviewed) co-star Mila Parely gives an alluring, deadly Femme Fatale turn as Helen.

Later becoming a writer of wine and travel books, the compact screenplay by Jan Read draws tension from Conway shoving aside all those who are attempting to discourage/ block on him investigating a mystery, that Read sadly does little to hide the guilty parties, as Conway peels open the layers of an orange.

Sean Lock: Lockipedia Live (2010 Video)

Unlocking Lockipedia.

[8/10 · 18 February 2024]

Making it to the screening of Anurag Kashyap's (who I got the chance to meet) latest film Kennedy (2023-also reviewed) just in time at the Birmingham Indian Film Festival, due to how terrible the trains had been.

Tiredness kicking in from all travelling as I walked back to the hotel, I got two cans of beer from the pub across the road from the hotel, and got ready to end the night watching something easy-going on TV. Having seen him on panel shows for years, I was happy that a Sean Lock stand-up show was about to play, leading to me opening Lockipedia.

View on the film/ special.

Performing without any of his regular panel co-stars, the late Sean Lock gives a hilarious performance, with director Paul Wheeler using mid-shots to emphasize the excited body language movements Lock does when telling a tale.

Revealed by Wheeler in wide-shots to have the crowd laughing at every gag, the routine written by Lock gleefully picks at mundane, normal shopping-related activities, to an absurd level. Bouncing off the false sense of the mundane, Lock unveils very funny, animated set-pieces, including one about what he would like to be done to his ashes, as he closes the pages of Lockipedia.

Anyone But You (2023)

Anyone but you who has much ado about nothing.

[7/10 · 12 February 2024]

Planning on seeing this over the last few weeks after noticing how well it had done at the box office, I had also become interested in seeing Poor Things (2023-also reviewed), due to having found The Favourite (2018-also reviewed) to be a splendid movie. Taking a look at the listings of my local cinema, I was thrilled to find that both screenings lined up perfectly (with Poor Things ending at midnight.) This led to me deciding to go for an Anyone But Poor Things double feature.

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Attempting to seal a romantic liaisons at the same time as she tries to get the key from a barista for the bathroom in the coffee shop, Sydney Sweeney gives a sparkling performance as Bea, whose meet-cute one-liner exchanges with Ben are served by Sweeney with a bubbly vocal delivery.

From the moment things get complicated in the bathroom, Sweeney performs the hilarious the slap-stick set-pieces with a real relish, thanks to Sweeney going all in on tripping up and stumbling over ever corner of the screen, while Bea attempts to present an elegant romantic image to Ben.

Boosting to his friend in the morning about the night he had, (unaware that Bea is listening to him) Glen Powell gives an enthusiastic turn as Ben, who Powell wraps in a smug arrogance, that gradually gets untied, when he and Bea get closer.

Stripping off for merry Comedy sequences, Powell has an outstanding chemistry with Sweeney, shining in the shocked reactions they share heightening the punch-lines, being joined by long, sly gazes into each others eyes.

Splashing Shakespeare quotes across walls as graffiti and on billboards, the screenplay by co-writer (with Ilana Wolpert ) / director Will Gluck crash a wedding with Bea and Ben's sweet, playfully flirty Rom-Com dialogue, made from smoothly inserted snippets of dialogue from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, being blended with brash asides, fuelled from the hate-love feelings shared by the couple.

Stuck in the middle as wedding guests, the writers layer surprisingly raunchy set-pieces to create as much friction as possible, going from a hilarious mad scramble by Ben to remove a spider that has gotten in a place that is rather delicate to him, to Bea bringing the family gathering down with a firework.

Revealing Ben to view the night he spent with Bea as much ado about nothing, co-writer / director Will Gluck & cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann cast a glamorous Rom-Com atmosphere, drizzled over close-ups of Powell and Sweeney's toned figures, spinning to slick wide-shots of the couple warming to each other over the Australian skyline.

Staging a fantastic eye-catching set-piece to the Natasha Bedingfield song Unwritten, Gluck unveils glossy dolly shots tracking Ben and Bea's antics round family members, whisked to stylish, distorted mid-shots of Bea and Ben attempting to keep their very funny physical mishaps out of everyone else's sight, as Ben and Bea dream of being with anyone, but each other.

House of Frankenstein (1944)

My 37th Birthday Viewing.

[7/10 · 9 February 2024]

Whilst trying to decide what film to watch on my birthday, I began to unwrap presents that friends and family had kindly gotten for me. Despite being well aware of the major Universal Classic Monsters films, this is a title which I had not heard of before, until my dad gave it to me today as a gift. This led to me heading off to pay Frankenstein a home visit.

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Travelling round causing chaos wherever he takes the travelling horror roadshow, Boris Karloff gives a dastardly performance as Niemann, who Karloff has expressing gleeful delight at getting revenge on those who had put him behind bars. Loyal to his master on every stop of this killer tour, J. Carrol Naish cuts a tragic figure as hunchback henchman Danial, with Naish expressing a doomed loving warmth for Ilonka, while Lon Chaney Jr. Wrestles with Talbot's fear of being unable to stop The Wolf Man consuming him.

Originally starting as a project called Chamber of Horrors that was to feature all the major Universal Monsters with a story by Curt Siodmak (who later said "I only wrote the story. I didn't write the script. I never saw the picture." ) The resulting screenplay by Edward T. Lowe pushes Frankenstein's Monster right to the back, with the character only being used for a disappointingly abrupt ending.

Thankfully, the other characters in this monster mash are given better treatment, from the doom-laden romance between Talbot/ Wolfman and Ilonka (played with a dash of tragic Gothic romance by Elena Verdugo), to Niemann turning his roadshow, into an opportunity to make a deal with Dracula.

Given the largest budget of any of the Frankenstein films, but forced to re-use sets from the likes of Gung Ho! (1943) and James Whale's Green Hell (1940-also reviewed), director Erle C. Kenton & The Son of Monte Cristo (1940-also reviewed) cinematographer George Robinson struggle to hide these limitations, becoming most visible on push-in shots appearing to have been filmed from the corners of sets, and wide-shots of angry mobs looking oddly on the sparse side.

Making the excellent make-up effects by Jack Pierce the star of the show, Kenton and Robinson wonderfully bring the Monsters to life, the moment superimposition nerves are layered over the revived Dracula. Flying into a stylish silhouette set-piece of Dracula as a bat on the attack, (which was directed by animator Walter Lantz), Kenton follows this revival with mesmerising close-ups of Talbot's transformation and wide-shots of Frankenstein's Monster coming to life at home.

Predator (1987)

Predator: The 35MM Screening. RIP Carl Weathers.

[10/10 · 4 February 2024]

Getting the chance in late November to see the mind-bending Inception (2010-also reviewed) in 35MM at The Electric Cinema (the oldest cinema in the UK) in Birmingham in late November, I took a look at what films were going to be screened at the cinema in the new year.

Last having seen it on DVD, I was thrilled to discover a 35MM showing of Predator was soon taking place at the venue, followed later that night by a 35MM screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968- also reviewed.) This led to me getting set for an epic 35MM Sci-Fi double bill.

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A year before entering the Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard (1988) and a few years before being stuck in a sub for The Hunt for Red October (1990) directing auteur John McTiernan is joined by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005-also reviewed) cinematographer Donald McAlpine, in sending the paramilitary group into a deep claustrophobic atmosphere.

Filmed on location in the Mexican jungle, McTiernan places the audience right in the centre of the group, via ragged hand-held camera moves gliding across the rugged terrain towards razor-sharp Axial cuts, (a major recurring motif in McTiernan's work) which cleverly heightens the jumpy state of the group.

Backed by a cracking score from Alan Silvestri, McTiernan brilliantly blends the visceral edge of Slasher Horror with the brute force of hand to hand combat, via blistering close-ups on the Predator killing its latest prey, bursting to slow-motion wide-shot drenched in flare lights,when Dutch turns the confined location on the Predator.

Revealed decades later by McTiernan that he campaigned for the actor to get the role because "I knew if I put him next to Arnold in most of the scenes it would help Arnold enormously" Carl Weathers gives a terrific turn as Dillon, who along with a no-nonsense macho side, is given by Weathers a focused, thoughtful side, displayed in Dillon's attempts to hold the rag-tag group together, against an unknown horror.

Playing a dangerous game with the Predator, (played by a wonderful Kevin Peter Hall, who gives the partly designed by Big Jim Cameron, Stan Winston made costume an impressive flexibility, expressing without any dialogue Predator's mind-set of playing the long game, with Hall also getting a welcomed cameo in the ending) Arnie gives a smashing performance as Dutch.

Surrounded by an excellent ensemble cast that features Bill Duke and a snarling Jesse Ventura, Arnie bounces his trademark one-liners with a relish, and an breezy ease which draws the impression of Dutch and his army buddies casually joking around.

Losing over twenty-five pounds before filming began, Arnie uses his more lean shape to capture Dutch searching for ways to use the jungle surroundings against the Predator, with Arnie balancing his visible excitement when firing up the explosive Action set-pieces, with sinking fear, as Predator (voiced by a great Peter Cullen, who came up with the noises himself) targets him.

Making their own entry into Hollywood by slipping the script under the door of 20th Century Fox producer Michael Levy, the screenplay by brothers Jim & John Thomas, (with future Twelve Monkeys (1995-also reviewed) co-writer David Webb Peoples doing un-credited minor re-writes) magnificently criss-cross genres from the moment the Predator lands on Earth, bringing a Sci-Fi Horror, that places the extremely masculine Dutch, in the position of The Final Girl in Slasher movies.

Inspired by The Most Dangerous Game, the writers fire up whip-smart one-liners setting up the close-knit relationship between the group, which get untangled by tense Action set-pieces, where the hard boiled lads attempt to take Predator head-on.

Whilst not set in the country, the writers have the shadow of the Vietnam war hanging in the background of the jungle, via the military group running in with what (they assume) is the most high-tech machinery around, only to be welcomed by something which has far more advanced weapons, and knowledge of how to use the environment against them, as Dutch fights to survive from becoming the final prey.

The Last Gunfight (1960)

A gunfight.

[9/10 · 3 February 2024]

Getting home after the wonderful monthly reading group meeting,I decided to watch a title before bed. Having saved this for years after getting it from a DVD seller, I felt it was time to witness the last gunfight.

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Blasting open the final battle with shards of light darting across the screen, director Kihachi Okamoto & cinematographer Kazuo Yamada load up a magnetic, Pop-Art atmosphere, bursting from crane shots spinning from gangster shoot-outs, to Jazz Musical numbers, the notes of which Okamoto continues playing, via first person tracking shots, refine walk & talk shots, and shot-gun loaded push-ins on the final bullet.

One of the eight times he would work with the lead actor, Okamoto also works closely with editor Yoshitami Kuroiwa (sadly not credited on IMDb) to slice open ultra-stylized French New Wave-inspired match-cuts, that are paired with a merry psychedelic mood, played on the striking framing Okamoto lands on from the cuts, against a sparkling candy coloured backdrop.

Slapping the face of any Yakuza who gets in his way,Toshiro Mifune gives a blazing performance as Fujioka, ignited by Mifune expressing Fujioka's frustrated state from being demoted, which explodes into a self-aware comedic side, unleashed by Mifune with a grin, whilst Fujioka tries to stop Maruyama (played with a fitting slickness by Koji Tsuruta) from sliding into the sights of fellow gangsters.

Treating Maruyama's attempt to get revenge for the murder of his girlfriend seriously, the screenplay by Shin'ichi Sekizawa and Haruhiko Oyabu brilliantly thread hard-edge Neo-Noir thrills powered from FuJioka and Maruyama finding themselves singled out in the police, and the underworld, with a free style Jazz peppering the (knowingly) witty dialogue amp up the ruthlessness of the gangsters, as Fujioka prepares for the last gunfight.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

A funeral and four weddings.

[6/10 · 2 February 2024]

Although I have been well aware of the title since it hit cinemas as part of the Cool Britannia wave of the 90's, I have somehow not seen a single clip, or trailer of the film. Spotting it in Dan Murrell's Movie Club line-up, I got set to finally attend four weddings.

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Later revealing that during filming he through that the movie was "Terrible", Hugh Grant gives a career-defining performance as Charles, thanks to Grant hitting the gaffe-prone one-liners with an irresistible charm from a half grin under mountains of floppy hair. Finding Carrie to be increasingly alluring across the weddings, Grant captures Charles gradual realization with a dramatic, serious edge, which helps to keep the comedy side grounded.

Surrounded by an incredible supporting cast that features James Fleet, Kristin Scott Thomas and David Haig, along with establishing the American actress as the lead love-interest template of Richard Curtis's works, Andie MacDowell fails to get any Rom-Com sparks flying, due to visibly looking awkward when having to deliver comedic meet-cute one-liners, and staying withdrawn and detached from Charles, at a point when love should be all around both of them.

Getting the idea after looking through old diaries and seeing how many weddings he had been to over the last decade, the screenplay by Richard Curtis serves up his distinctive cosy comedy of manners and super sweet, mis-matched Rom-Com romance. Curtis pairs the fluffy Rom-Com side, with moments of refreshing, quiet thoughtfulness, rising to the surface, when Charles and Tom are moved from the glossy weddings, and left to contemplate the directions of their lives, as they pay their respects to the passing of one at a funeral.

Working on a budget so tight that the production was unable to afford the cost to film in Scotland, director Mike Newell takes advantage of the situation, (Hugh Grant later said that he, Richard Curtis, and most of the cast and crew believed during production that Newell was taking the film in the wrong direction) by closely working with cinematographer Michael Coulter to prove all the doubters wrong.

Contrasting the glossy weddings and Richard Curtis's charming gags, Newell & Coulter present the couples with terrific long-take walk & talks gliding to wobbly, hand-held panning shots eavesdropping on conversations taking place in the corner of churches, as the bells ring out for four weddings.

Boa (2001)

New boa.

[5/10 · 31 January 2024]

Meeting up with a friend in the run-up to Halloween, we decided to go to the local CEX and get a disc that we could watch later. With my friend being in the mood for a "Creature Feature" I was pleased to spot a DVD of a title that appeared to be from that genre, which led to us picking up the boa.

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Breaking the ice by going on a tour of the New Alcatraz prison in the Antarctic, co-writer (with Terri Neish) / director Phillip J. Roth & The Room (2003) cinematographer Todd Barron crack open a frosty survival Horror atmosphere, via icy panning shots closing in on the prisoners and the guards, as their fear heats up of encountering the mega boa.

Although full shots of the creature, result in the naff rubbery CGI filling the screen, Roth wisely mixes the wide-shot set-pieces, with side shots that display fragments of the boa, which thanks to this limitation and the frosty location, allows the CGI artists to use shadows that give the boa a slippery appearance, as it slithers up to its prey.

Locking the boa in a confine location, the screenplay by Roth and Neish chews Creature Feature shocks with survival Horror prison drama, via the inmates and the wardens all butting heads and scrambling to survive the attacks from the boa.

Minagoroshi no reika (1968)

Shima: Portrait of a Executioner.

[9/10 · 29 January 2024]

With my birthday coming up in a few weeks, I decided to go for an early birthday present, and buy one of the upcoming brand new releases from Radiance. Finding that this title had just one review on IMDb, I got set to uncover this executioner.

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Backed by a detailed video essay on Japanese serial killer movies by Tom Mes and a wonderful interview with Kenta Fukasaku that goes behind the scenes, Radiance present an immaculate transfer, which retains the grubby appearance of the film, whilst giving the print a real sharpness by removing all spots of dirt, along with the layered soundtrack ringing out clearly.

Putting together the strips of clue revealing Shima hiding under an alias, Chieko Baisho gives an alluring performance as Haruko, thanks to Baisho expressing in her vocal delivery the desire Haruko has to chip away at the barriers Shima has placed round his personal space.

Working at a greasy spoon, Baisho contrasts Haruko's open interest to learn more about Shima, with withdrawn facial expressions, whenever someone enquires what her life was like before working at the cafe.

Not even trying to hide the blood on his hands, Makoto Sato gives the murder set-pieces a brutality in his dead behind the eyes gaze, as Shima commits another murder without a hint of doubt. Cooking up a romance with Haruko, Sato subtly hardens Shima's facial expressions, reflecting Shima determination, to refuse entry into his personal space, from every attempt Haruko makes.

Sliced open from a novel by Shugoro Yamamoto, (which has a woman as the killer) the screenplay by co-writer ( with Tadashi Hiromi, Haruhiko Mimura and Yoji Yamada ) / director Tai Kato superbly unties a stark, alienated portrait of post-war Japan, splashed with a Film Noir pessimism, fueled by Shima's avenging killing spree, being drawn round the five murder victims, laughing at the cruelty they themselves have inflicted.

Blowing the police away as a joke, the writers brilliantly dovetail extended flashbacks, which claw into disintegrating morals, captured in Haruko's folding her past from view, while Shima leaves his bleeding open.

Coldly shoving the audience into Shima's world with an astonishingly bleak, cold Giallo-style opening killing, director Kato & cinematographer Keiji Maruyama incredibly give the viewer no breathing room, by lining a Neo-Noir atmosphere with mesmerising, experimental superimpositions, razor-sharp jump-cuts and abrasive montages, all filling the screen with Shima's mind-set.

Backed by a refine Jazzy,angelic score from composer Hajime Kaburagi, Kato beautifully frames the murderous wasteland with ultra-stylised wide-shots shimmering on reflections of the moral vacuum, which covers the screen in gallons of blood, as the executioner is executed.

My Scary Indian Wedding (2023)

My Horrible Indian Wedding.

[9/10 · 23 January 2024]

Since having seen Night of the Bride (2023-also reviewed) I was interested to find that another short Horror film about an Indian wedding was featured in the line-up of the online part of the Soho Horror Film Festival. This led to me getting ready to attend the wedding.

Note: Review contains some plot details.

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Running down the aisle with Asha as she attempts to stop The Manglik before time runs out, writer/ director Ramone Menon & Tommy Oceanak unwrap a fabulous eerie atmosphere brewing from elegant arc and hand-held shots against a glittering red backdrop shimmering to Asha being forced to follow the commands on the phone.

Giving an initial fleeting glimpse, Menon and Oceanak unleash The Manglik under layers of fog and wonderfully framed wide-shots, pinned on The Manglik walking down the corridor, and bringing the long shadows with her.

Dismissed by everyone as just wanting to put a damper on the wedding, Misha Molani gives a blazing performance as Asha, with Molani expressing in her body language Misha standing on the edge of fear, at the same time as her vocal delivery emphasises the urgentcy gripping Asha, to do everything possible to stop The Manglik. Not having a clue what Asha is going on about when she mentions The Manglik, Patrick Rutnam gives a fittingly wide-eyed innocent turn as Vikram, whose doubts that what Asha is saying might actually be true, Rutnam has gradually creep in.

Based on the real Hindu superstition prevalent in India, the screenplay by Menon displays an outstanding eye for covering complex events in a compact manner. Laying out the mythology and origins of The Manglik, Menon skillfully weaves them with a tense race against time Horror tale, bringing up unsettling obstacles to get in the way of Asha's path, during a scary wedding.

Francesca (2015)

Francesca's divine comedy.

[7/10 · 22 January 2024]

After a bit of a difficult week, I decided to cheer myself up, by watching one of the films that has been waiting to get played for years. Looking round CEX in Manchester in 2021 after a train got cancelled, I was surprised to spot a modern Giallo that I had not heard of before. After having seen the tantalizing DVD cover on my shelf since that time,I decided this weekend to finally meet Francesca.

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Paying tribute in a post-credits scene to one of the murders from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970-also reviewed), co-writer (with his brother Nicolas) / director Luciano Onetti composes a wonderfully ripe Neo-Giallo atmosphere, via shimmering, ultra-stylized whip-pans, obscured wide-shots, match-cuts and push-ins towards the killer set-pieces.

Although the limited budget is visible from the lo-res grainy digital image quality, Onetti slices through the limits with exploding primary colours being blended in with the brushes of candle-wax red, powered up by a grinding metallic Prog Jazz score, which captures the ruthless, anything goes mind-set of the killer.

Drawn from an opening disappearance of a young girl, the screenplay by the Onetti keep the unsettled status of this cold case hanging in the air, leading to this Giallo being struck with a great sense of the foreboding, thanks to the writers paying real attention to building a tense mystery and uncovering clues from The Divine Comedy, which has the last laugh,over the whereabouts of Francesca.