Tag: Movie Review
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Giant.
Set against the dusty backdrop of Texas, Giant spans over 25 years and 200 minutes. It is an extravagant tale about identity, race, pride and the dawn of the age of oil. Giant follows stubborn and determined Texan rancher Bick Benedict as the industry he loves gradually deteriorates whilst oil drilling rises. After Bick marries the strong-willed, and equally…
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Rebel Without a Cause.
James Dean only made 3 films before his death at age 24. East of Eden came out in early 1955, half a year before its star died in a car crash. A month after his death, his second film was released, followed by his last, Giant, in 1956. With the tragedy of his death still looming and his portrayal…
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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
As Rise of the Planet of the Apes draws to a close, there are but a few things separating man and ape; the humans have guns and the apes have their unity. In the franchise’s second instalment these separations begin to merge and weaken. Weaponry soon finds its way into the animal kingdom and trust within…
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Thanks to Tim Burton’s questionable take on the franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was initially something to be wary of. Successfully reinventing a classic takes astute direction and vision, something Burton’s re-imagining lacked. Luckily, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a reboot rather than a remake. This is a new story that pays great tribute to…
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The ABCs of Death.
I first heard about this “super-anthology” at the press event for last year’s Bradford Film Festival. The film was to be shown late at night, midway through the festival. I was a student in Leeds at the time and although I was enthusiastic to attend as much of the festival as possible, I was restricted…
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Chef.
I didn’t care whether or not Chef had a pretty conventional and predictable plot. I wasn’t desperate for it to make me howl with laughter and tug at my heart strings. I was prepared to sit through two hours of mediocre characters who I wouldn’t warm to – I’d seen the trailer after all. All I wanted…
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Edinburgh Film Festival 2014: Round Up.
In the last 13 days I’ve sat in 3 different venues, in 9 different screens, and watched 30 films at Edinburgh International Film Festival. It has been a great experience, especially the experience of conducting my first industry interview, with director Jeff Baena. Most of the films have been great, some have been mediocre and…
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Coherence.
I finished off my time at Edinburgh International Film Festival with Coherence. A creepy science fiction chiller that begins at a friendly dinner party and turns into something much more unnerving, Coherence was a great way to finish what has been a remarkable festival. The film uses shaky cameras and hand-held equipment to create a similar appearance to…
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Miss Zombie.
Set against the bleak backdrop of a family home, Miss Zombie contributes a great deal to the popular zombie genre. The family home is well looked after but if you look a little closely, the floor is peeling and the patio is overgrown and dirty. The cracks are starting to show on the outside, reflecting what is…
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Still Life.
What happens after we die is beyond our knowledge and control. Yet, our behaviour in this world can determine the way in which we leave it. What and who we leave behind is forever un-knowable and it is the sadness of leaving nothing behind us that forms the centre of Uberto Pasolini’s Still Life. Most of…
Hannah McHaffie 