In a fun piece of news I’ll be providing the DVD liner notes for a couple of Samuel Arkoff classics from the Fifties..Reform School Girl and Sorority Girl. The films are being released by DVD label DV1 as part of their Dark Horse sub label and will be part of a collection of Arkoff’s film’s released by American international Pictures (A.I.P) More news as the project progresses and keep checking http://www.dv1.com.au/ for release dates.
This Friday at 6pm I'll once again be gracing the airwaves on 89.7 for Eastside FM's Cinemascape. This week I'll be producing the show and reviewing one of my favourite films of the year so far The King of Kong. This David and Goliath tale to become the world's Donkey Kong champion has it all. The filmmakers must have been thanking the God's of the film world when they met the duo making battle to become the king of Donkey Kong. Billy Mitchell, the self proclaimed Video Game champion of the Universe, is the sort of character that documentaries are made for. An egotistical, arrogant megalomaniac with a penchant for BBQ sauce and voluminous hair do's is the antithesis of his competitor, Steve Weibe, the down on his luck family man who just wants to be good at something. 
From the moment that the world set eyes on Audrey Tautou in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie they fell in love. Her elfin beauty led to further cute performances in the likes of A Very Long Engagement and The Spanish Apartment but she was always a little pixie rather than a vision of lust. That has all changed with Pascal Bonnet’s Priceless.
The Breakfast at Tiffany's comparisons are spot on. Much like Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly; Tautou’s Irene is a beautiful and mischievous character that everyone can’t help but fall in love with but beneath the charm is a sad lonely sole who basically sells herself for money. This potentially sad tale is given a delightful French twist by a spot on script and fabulous performances from the two leads. You just can’t help but love with Irene, with the possible exception of the scenes when she pushes Jean to spend every Euro to his name.
Very sad to hear of the passing of actor Roy Scheider, the star of one of my favourite films Jaws, on February the 10th last week. He also put in fabulous performances in Marathon Man, Klute, Cronenberg's Naked Lunch, 2010 and was nominated for an Oscar for his work in Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. He also got to utter one of the greatest lines in modern cinema; he'll be sorely missed.
The New Year has marked flourish of activity on the Cinemascape Show. I appeared on the end of year round up show and in recent weeks I have reviewed the Coen brother’s fabulous No Country for Old Men and Julie Delpi’s 2 Days in Paris. Next week I’ll be producing the show and reviewing Juno. One of my film's of 2008 already, Jason Reitman's tale of teenage pregnancy builds on the promise of his earlier effort Thank You For Smoking and gives us one of the finest teen films since The Breakfast Club! The cast is extraordinary; Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Gardner all give career bests. The dialogue is witty and sharp, even bringing in discussions on who is the best horror director? Dario Argento or Herschell Gordon Lewis! The script by Diablo Cody marks her as a talent to watch. Everything about the film is effortlessly cool, even though they tried really hard.
The team will also be discussing Cloverfield which I also loved. Despite its derivative premise and the laboured use of the discovered video tape motif this 'Blair Witch meets Godzilla meets The OC' is fantastic. Yes the cast are all far too good looking and that camera’s battery life is supercharged to say the least but when that monster strikes and Manhattan is under siege this is a truly astonishing cinematic experience. For a pure adrenaline rush Cloverfield cannot be beaten and despite the hand held, shaky imagery this film just has to be seen in a cinema with a massice screen and huge sound system. To hear full reviews tune in on Friday 25th of January at 6pm on 89.7 FM.
In magazine news the next issue of Smoke & Mirrors will feature some of the interviews conducted on the set of The Ruins last year including director Carter Smith and stars Joe Anderson, Jena Malone and Laura Ramsey. The magazine also includes a chat I had with Alex Wuttke; CG Supervisor on Roland Emmerich’s forthcoming 10,000BC. The issue will hit the shelves in March.
I’ve been lucky enough to interview some amazing talent over the year; Jessica Alba and the cast of Fantastic Four, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Franka Potente, Joe Anderson, Jena Malone, Claudia Karvan and director Jamie Blanks among many more have all made wonderful company. Set visit wise I’ve headed to Queensland to visit some amazing locations; in particular the beautiful mountain ranges of Carter Smith’s The Ruins. The filmmakers of Acolytes and Daybreakers both also made me extremely welcome and the film’s themselves show incredible promise so I’m very much looking forward to seeing those next year.
My ties with Shivers and Smoke & Mirrors magazines have gone from strength to strength and I still regularly contribute to Filmink and Film Review magazines aswell as reviewing DVDs for http://www.cinephilia.net.au/ and http://www.digital-retribution.com/. I’m particularly proud of my recent Danger Diabolik article in the wonderful Cinema Retro and my regular blog at http://www.frightfest.co.uk/.
No Country For Old Men
Very sad to hear that Evel Knievel, the man who inspired the Seventies greatest toy has passed away. The death defying stuntman, renowned for his taste for adventure took motorcycle jumping to the masses; he tried to jump the Grand Canyon, headlined London’s Wembley Stadium and crashed into the fountains of Caesar’s Palace after flying 45 metres through the air. He broke almost every bone in his body, had 15 operations and starred in the motion picture Viva Knievel with Gene Kelly! Stars like Evel Knievel just don’t exist anymore, he’ll be missed. Here's some incredible footage of the great man's visit to Wembley.
This Friday at 18:00 I’ll be producing Cinemascape on Eastside 89.7 FM. On the show this week we’ll be discussing Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Balls of Fury and I’ll be reviewing Beowulf. There is only one way to watch Robert Zemeckis’s latest excursion into performance capture animation and that’s in 3D at the IMAX. As a visual extravaganza it’s astonishing; as an engaging fantasy it’s a bit lacking but is does feature some unintentionally hilarious Austin Powers style placement of objects to hide the eponymous hero’s nether regions and Angelina Jolie as a naked water demon; what more could you ask for? To hear the rest of my thoughts, tune in later in the week
This Friday I'll be producing the Cinemascape show on Eastside 89.7 FM at 6pm. The films being reviewed this week are David Slade's 30 Days on Night, Tell No One and I'll be passing judgment on Greg McLean's Rogue. Tune in if you're in Sydney!
It’s been a busy few weeks so here’s a long overdue update…..
In the printed world, the last two issues of Shivers magazine have featured my work. Issue #134 includes my interview with Greg McLean about directing Rogue and Issue #135, the bumper Halloween issue, features my chat with Dave & Lou Elsey about creating the woolly terrors of Black Sheep. Both issues are available at http://www.visimag.com/. The December issue of Filmink will feature my interview with Franka Potente about her work in Richard Roxburgh’s Romulus, My Father. Finally the next issue of Smoke & Mirrors magazine will feature my interview with the makers of The Devil Dared Me To, the nearly semi true movie of New Zealand's most dangerous stuntman.
I have a mixed past with director Michael Winterbottom; I loved 24 Party People but hated 9 Songs so it was with excitement and trepidation that I approached his first major studio film A Mighty Heart. Starring Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl, wife of kidnapped Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl; I'm happy to report that A Mighty Heart is an emotionally charged experience that holds the attention from beginning to end, despite the inevitability of their plight. Wonderful performances, combine with bravaura editing and location shooting in Karachi to produce a thrilling and moving look at the other side of the headlines. Listen to my thoughts on the film on Cinemascape tonight at 6pm on Eastside 89.7 FM.
As the film opens on its bleak static opening image, Hidden (Cache) immediately puts the audience on edge. But then Michael Haneke continuingly confounding thriller delights in not giving the audience what it wants. Seemingly taking its inspiration from David Lynch’s Teutonic nightmare Lost Highway; Hidden follows the Laurent family as they begin to receive videocassettes and childish, yet gruesome messages, through their post box. The tapes show footage of their daily routines, secretly filmed without their consent. Georges, a television celebrity, is obviously alarmed by this invasion of his families’ privacy and starts to investigate where these packages have come from. Little does he know that a dark secret that he has kept from his wife Anne and family may well be the clue to who is harassing his family.
The performances are excellent; Auteuil was fabulous last year in the thriller 36 Quai des Orfèvres and he excels here in the role of Georges. His wife Anne is played by Juliette Binoche; best known for her work in Kieslowski’s Three Colours trilogy and Chocolat. This is serious adult entertainment, the underlying political agenda, a discussion on immigration in French society shows that Haneke small family portrait has the big picture in mind. Viewing his early work like Benny’s Video and Funny Games it’s obvious that Haneke revels in expanding the limits of cinematic art. Born in Germany, Hidden is the third of his films shot in France following Code Inconnu (Code Unknown), also starring Binoche and the critically acclaimed La Pianiste (The Piano Teacher.)
Later today, Friday 14th, at the new time of 6pm I'll producing the latest Cinemascape show on Eastside 89.7 FM. This week I'll be reviewing Pascale Ferran's ponderous Lady Chatterely. Starring Marina Hands and Jean-Louis Coullo'ch; this French twist on DH Lawrence's classic English tome failed to create any spark between the two leads. A fatal mistake when the film revolves around their ensuing relationship. Tune in to hear the rest of my thoughts.
In some very exciting news to kick things off, I’ll be heading to Queensland next week to visit the set of the Spierig brothers new film Daybreakers. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Claudia Karvan. Hopefully I’ll be chatting to most of the cast about working in what promises to be an intriguing entry into the vampire genre.
This Friday I’ll on the air again producing this weeks Cinemascape show on Eastside 89.7FM. This time around I’ll be reviewing Once; a wonderful film about falling in love and making beautiful music. If you are a fan of The Frames you are in for a treat as lead singer Glen Hansard gives his all in an amazingly raw and natural performance. Tune in at 17:30.
After a couple of years of reviewing films on Cinemascape, I have now donned headphones to become one of the shows producers. This Friday marks my debut as the shows host and I’ll be honouring the occasion by reviewing one of the film’s of the year thus far, Shane Meadows semi autobiographical This in England. Set in 1983, the film tells the story of a young boy called Shaun whose life is changed during his school holidays when he befriends a gang of skinheads. The film is beautifully played by the entire ensemble, especially Thomas Turgoose as Shaun. Roland Rat, Margaret Thatcher, Rubik's Cubes, the Royal Wedding, aerobics, Keith Chegwin; Meadows has filled his film with 1980s minutiae that gives this often grim tale an authenticity that is only heightened by the terrific soundtrack. The best British film about disenchanted youth since Tim Roth’s Trevor smashed his way through Alan Clarke’s Made in Britain; be prepared to be entertained, disturbed and shocked. The show will also feature reviews of Susan Bier’s After the Wedding and Jonathan King’s fabulous Black Sheep. Tune in to Eastside 89.7 FM this Friday at 17:30 to hear the show.
Tune in this Friday at 17:30 to Eastside 89.7 FM's Cinemascape show to hear my thoughts on the new Kevin Costner serial killer film, Mr Brooks. Against all the odds this is an enjoyable little chiller. Also starring Demi Moore and William Hurt; the film probably bites off slighty more than it can chew but at the centre of it all is an excellent performance by Costner as the eponymous Mr Brooks. Listen to the show to hear the rest!
For anyone in the Sydney area I'll once again be appearing on Eastside 89.7 FM's Cinemascape Show. This week i'll be reviewing the long awaited The Simpsons Movie and I'm happy to say I loved it. The film is great fun; Homer and family deliver laughs a plenty as only the world's favourite disfunctional family can and I'm sure even the most die hard Simpsons obssessive will come out of the experience a happy camper. The show will also feature reviews of Michael James Rowland's fabulous debut feature Lucky Miles and Sean Ellis' less than successful adaptation of his own short film Cashback. Tune in at 17:30 for some lively cinematic debate.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for interviews. I had the pleasure of heading up to Queensland to visit the set of The Ruins; a new horror film based on the novel by Scott Smith, the man who wrote A Simple Plan. I chatted to first time director Carter Smith, make up man Jason Baird and the films stars including Jena Malone, better known to many as Donnie Darko’s girlfriend and Joe Anderson who played Peter Hook in the forthcoming Control. Anderson was heavily involved in the scene we saw being shot which involved a large rock, a saw and a frying pan. Anyone who has read the excellent source novel will know what I’m talking about.
The next issue of Smoke & Mirrors will include my interviews with Mark Coulier discussing his work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and director Peter Burger on his new Kiwi horror film The Tattooist.
Finally I’ll be talking to Aussie director Jamie Blanks about his new film Storm Warning which I’ve been hearing very good word on from the guys over at Frightfest. Having hit the Hollywood trail directing Urban Legend, Cherry Falls and Valentine is great to see Blanks returning to his roots. He has some great things lined up in the future so I look forward to writing about those project soon.
I'll be on air today in Sydney on Eastside 89.7 FM's Cinemascape show. Things kick off at 17:30 and I'll be reviewing The Dead Girl starring Brittany Murphy, Rose Byrne, Giovanni Ribisi and James Franco. The film, split into five stories, relates to the lives of 5 woman who are somehow linked to the titular dead girl. We follow the lives of the stranger, the sister, the wife, the mother and the dead girl herself. Brittany Murphy is wonderful in the lead role and in an interesting twist of fate, her character is more alive than the rest of the women's sad lives. Highly recommended, if depressing, viewing; director Karen Moncrieff is definitely a name to look out for in the future.
This week marks my first regular blog on the Film 4 Frightfest website. I'll be keeping you up to date with the latest gossip on the horror film scene down under. Check out http://www.frightfest.co.uk/ to read my blog and to see the amazing line up for this years event taking place at London's Odeon West End on the August Bank holiday weekend August 23rd - August 27th. This year's film's include Black Sheep, Storm Warning, Disturbia, Black Water, The Orphanage and many many more. Tickets have already gone on sale so if you live anywhere near London, you have no excuses. It's the horror event of the year.
I’ve already waxed lyrical about my love of Jonathan King’s Black Sheep but there was plenty more to enjoy in the second week of this year’s Sydney Film Festival. Even if the killer ovine horror film did rank very highly as my best of the festival.
Scott Walker: 30th Century Man was a fascinating look into the life of the musical maverick. He may once have been bigger than The Beatles in the 60s but now he is content in producing exceedingly experimental albums for himself. Stephen Kijak’s documentary follows what happened in between and features a very very rare recent interview with the great, but publicity shy, man himself. One for the converted, it’s a Walker love fest that’s unlikely to convert too many viewers but if you love the baritone crooner’s albums, you will love this documentary. It sent me running to hear his records again and you can’t get better recommendation than that.
Christina Ricci heated up the screen in Craig Brewer’s Black Snake Moan. What more can you say about a film who’s main storyline involves a grizzled old blues guitarist played by Samuel. L. Jackson, chaining a scantily clad nymphomaniac, Ricci, onto a radiator in an effort to drive out the demons from her soul. Beautifully played by the two leads, there is actually a lot more to Black Snake Moan than salacious thrills and when Jackson’s Lazarus picks up his guitar he is the embodiment of the Deep South blues. The film only misses with the casting of Justin Timberlake and a few dubious plotlines but overall it’s a worthy successor to Brewer’s Oscar nominated Hustle and Flow.
On the other hand David Lynch’s Inland Empire did everything you would expect and more. To discuss the plot is futile, in this viewers mind the film’s dreamlike imagery, a room full of human sized rabbits and a wonderful performance by Laura Dern more than make up for Lynch’s over indulgent story telling. It certainly received a mixed welcome; the screening at the State was met with catcalls, cheers, boos and mass walks ours. The perfect festival reception to any film!
Lucky Miles has won the audience award for best feature at this years Sydney Film Festival. Congratulations to director Michael James Rowland, producers Jo and Lesley Dyer and executive producer Michael Bourchier and the rest of the cast and crew. The film opens on July 19th in Australia so be sure to head to your local arthouse cinema on the film's opening weekend, check out www.myspace.com/luckymiles for more information.
Harking back to those halcyon days of the horror film, the 80s; Jonathan King’s Black Sheep does for our woolly friends what An American Werewolf in London and The Howling did for the lycanthrope. Full of blood, gore, latex transformations and sheep; the film is a shear delight from beginning to end.
There are some wonderful moments in the film; the premonition of impending doom as an angry mob of sheep can be seen advancing in the distance as the scientists obliviously make their presentation recalls Tippi Hendren waiting outside the school in Hitchcock’s The Birds. Unlike Hitchcock’s ecological horror film Black Sheep gives the sheep fair reason to revolt. The condemnation of animal experimentation is nicely handled and gives the film a serious edge, even if it doesn’t strive to maintain it.
Things kicked off with the gala screening of the much-touted La Vie En Rose and for the most part Olivier Dahan’s epic retelling of the life of French chanteuse Edith Piaf lived up to the hype. The film was a tad too long and the modern editing techniques sometimes jarred with the unfolding story but the central performance from Marion Cottilard was spell binding.
The documentary Danny Williams: A Walk Into The Sea told the story of one of the unsung heroes of Andy Warhols Factory. Featuring interviews with Billy Name, John Cale and the ever-irascible Paul Morrissey, the film included some amazing footage from the Velvet Underground performing at one of the infamous Exploding Plastic Inevitable nights. As a huge fan of the subject matter the film was enthralling and also added some incite into the recurring question of who actually directed some of the earlier Warhol films.
British cinema was represented by two incredibly different but equally as enthralling films. Hallam Foe was a bizarre coming of age tale starring Jamie Bell as a peeping tom with a penchant for habiting high-level abodes. Bell was excellent as the titular character and it was certainly an unpredictable black comedy. There was nothing funny, however, about Paul Andrew Williams harrowing London to Brigton. Following a prostitute and a street kid on the run from a pimp, the film dares to delve into the seedy and unnerving world of child prostitution with unflinching daring. In fact the film only descends into cliché when the oft over glamorised cockney gangsters of the London underworld rear their ugly heads. The performances of the two leads are amazing in their honesty, in particular the young Georgia Groome is a face to watch in the future. This is a remarkable debut that pulls no punches and demands to be seen.
Last week I was lucky enough to attend a press conference given by the legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren. She was in Sydney to promote the city's Italian Film Festival but the press managed to talk to her about her career, her leading men and winning two Oscars. On fine form, despite the best efforts of members of the Television show The Chaser who tried their best sabotage the event, she finished the conference by chastising Quentin Tarantino for his apparent disdain for the present Italian film industry; “how dare he talk about Italian cinema when he doesn't even know anything about American cinema."
the Dendy Opera Quays. This time around I talked to Sydneysiders about their thoughts on Paris, Je T'aime. Next months Filmink Magazine includes my interview with Michael James Rowland discussing his latest film Lucky Miles which is being shown at this years Sydney Film Festival.
This Friday on Eastside 89.7 FM's Cinemascape show I'll be passing judgement on Billy Ray's Breach starring Chris Cooper, Ryan Philippe and Laura Linney. Tune in at 17:30 to hear my thoughts on this sombre but enthralling thriller about the biggest information breach in the history of the FBi.
As a huge fan of Run Lola Run, last night I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to interview Franka Portente about her role in the forthcoming Australian feature Romulus, My Father. Directed by Richard Roxburgh and starring Eric Bana, the film marks the first time that she has worked in Australia and judging by her enthusiasm for the project, it will not be her last. We also chatted about her roles in Blow, The Bourne Indentity and, of course, Run Lola Run.
This Friday I'll be reviewing Terry Gilliam's extraordinary Tideland on my regular spot on Eastside 89.7FM's Cinemascape show. Visually stunning, this is one of the most disturbingly unpleasant films it has been my pleasure to watch in recent memory. Unsurprisingly Tideland has split audiences everywhere it has been shown and promises to do the same when shown in Sydney. Tune in at 17:30 to here the thoughts of a confused lifetime long Gilliam fan. If you thought that Brazil was as pitch black and depressing as Gilliam can get then you will be in for a surpise; Monty Python this is not!
