Review: Gangster Squad (2013)

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Gangster Squad

Taking a break from zombies and delivery boys, director Ruben Fleischer fashions a stylised and star-studded, yet vacuous entry into the cops vs. mob genre with Gangster Squad. Disappointingly, the American director tries far too hard to recreate 1987’s The Untouchables for the modern day audience, instead of making an engaging, moody and powerful film that can stand on its own two feet as a bold statement. Set in 1940s Los Angeles, crook and mob boss Mickey Continue reading “Review: Gangster Squad (2013)” →

Six Of The Best: Pedro Almodóvar

Jamie Neish3 Comments

Pedro Almodovar

Writer, producer and director Pedro Almodóvar is arguably the most well-known and well-regarded Spanish filmmaker in the country’s colourful history. With eighteen feature films under his belt, and another currently in post-production, Almodovar has gone from strength to strength in his 30-odd year career, creating films that not only entertain, but also educate and captivate. Continue reading “Six Of The Best: Pedro Almodóvar” →

Review: Les Misérables (2012)

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Les Miserables

Victor Hugo’s decades-spanning novel Les Misérables has been the subject of countless adaptations since its initial publication in 1862, the latest of which hails from The King’s Speech director, Tom Hooper. He has stripped the tale of ex-convict Jean Valjean’s quest for redemption through revolution-era France down to its core and captured the fraught emotion and difficult subject matter – poverty, prostitution, crime and corruption – through powerful, live on-set Continue reading “Review: Les Misérables (2012)” →

Review: The Impossible (2012)

Jamie Neish8 Comments

The Impossible

Five years after making a powerful impression with terrifying ghost story, Spanish writer and director Juan Antonio Bayona turns his attention to the tsunami that wreaked havoc on thousands of unsuspecting victims on December 26, 2004. Though not an immediate horror, shares several similarities with The Orphanage, most prominently in the deep-rooted terror that pervades its entirety. Henry (Ewan McGregor) and Maria (Naomi Watts) take their three Continue reading “Review: The Impossible (2012)” →

A Film Blogger And His Hopes For London

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Empire

In ten days time I’ll be venturing down to London for the UK Media Showcase. As a film blogger living in a quiet area of Scotland, this is a terribly exciting prospect for me. Not only does it present with me with an opportunity to watch some of the most anticipated films of the coming year a few weeks before their official releases, but it also enables me to break out of my skin a little and socialise with those I’ve spoken to on social media websites but never actually met in the flesh. Continue reading “A Film Blogger And His Hopes For London” →

Centrefolds & Empty Screens: 2012 In Review

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys have prepared a rather nifty 2012 annual report for Centrefolds & Empty Screens.

Take a look here.

Review: Jack Reacher (2012)

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Jack Reacher

Writer and director Christopher McQuarrie follows up the seldom-seen The Way of The Gun with Jack Reacher, an adaptation of author Lee Child’s successful crime series. In the film, which is predominantly based on the ninth novel One Shot, Reacher finds himself embroiled in a murder case when the supposed killer of five innocent victims, trained sniper James Barr (Joseph Sikora), is apprehended in police custody. Continue reading “Review: Jack Reacher (2012)” →

Review: Life Of Pi (2012)

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Life Of Pi

Life of Pi, Yann Martel’s supposedly unfilmable Booker Prize winning novel, is ushered to the big screen by Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee after nine years in development turmoil. Working from a script by David Magee, Lee’s interpretation retains the novel’s framing structure as an older Pi (Irrfan Khan) is visited by a struggling writer (Rafe Spall) and proceeds to recount his unbelievable story. Continue reading “Review: Life Of Pi (2012)” →

Best Ten Films Of 2012

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Martha Marcy May Marlene

2012 may not have been a landmark year for cinema in the same way 1999 was, but it’s certainly seen its fair share of outstanding releases challenge, captivate and move audiences in remarkable ways. The first half was arguably somewhat of a write-off, with only the left-over Academy Award releases and a sprinkling of surprising successes – 21 Jump Street (arguably the best comedy of the year), The Cabin In The Woods, The Hunger Games and Pirates! In An Adventure With Continue reading “Best Ten Films Of 2012” →

Review: Pitch Perfect (2012)

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Pitch Perfect

The world of collegiate a capella (college-backed singing groups who perform entirely with their mouths) comes under focus in Universal’s new ensemble comedy Pitch Perfect. In a world where musicals are either as camp and dewy-eyed as Glee, or as irksome as Rock of Ages, Pitch Perfect – from producer and co-star Elizabeth Banks – comes as a welcome surprise with a sharp script, lifelike characters and an unavoidably infectious and buoyant soundtrack. Continue reading “Review: Pitch Perfect (2012)” →