Beowulf bears all

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

Rogue on the radio

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!

Latest News

It’s been a busy few weeks so here’s a long overdue update…..
For any Sydneysiders listening you would have heard me produce last weeks Cinemascape show on Eastside 89.7 FM. I reviewed Anton Corbijn’s fabulous Control. This coming Friday I’ll be on the show again reviewing Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. Most will know that Death Proof was Tarantino’s half of his failed double bill experiment with Robert Rodriguez Grindhouse and much has been said that this is a lesser work by the director but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed his petroleum fuelled schlock fest. A tribute to the films of Monte Hellman and the fleapits on 42nd Street, peppered with Tarantino’s trademark dialogue throughout; Death Proof, despite its failings, fits perfectly into the director’s oeuvre. Tune in at 18.00 to hear my review.

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.

It's shaping up to be a busy time for major film’s shooting down under with X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Justice League of America, Mad Max 4 and Underworld 3 all being announced. I’ll be endeavouring to cover the making of these films in the coming months so I’ll keep you posted on progress.

A Mighty Heart

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.

Forbidden Lie$ on the radio

Later today, in about 15 minutes in fact! on Eastside 89.7 FM i'll be appearing on Cinemascape, the station's weekly show about the movies. This week I'll be passing judgement on Anna Broinowski's fabulous documentary Forbidden Lie$. The film attempts to discover the truth about the best selling book Forbidden Love and its author Norma Khouri. Whether fact or fiction, the film tries to uncover one of the biggest litary cons of this generation. If Khouri's best friend was murdered in an honour killing in Jordan or if her friend ever really existed. If you are reading this now and living in Sydney...tune in!

Hidden DVD review

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.

Shot with minimal camera movement and a complete disregard for the principals of the thriller genre; Hidden is a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood fodder we are spoon fed in the name of entertainment. To reveal the film’s conclusion would do Haneke’s masterpiece a great disservice. Some viewers will be enthralled, some will feel cheated, some will be angry but everyone is made to think.

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.)

In an unnerving touch the film has no music giving the effect that the audience is also watching a home video of the Laurent families’ life. We are accomplice to the sinister figure who has been filming them. Not that the viewer knows who the villain of the piece is. In Haneke’s Hidden, the truth is there to be discovered, you’re just not going to find it quickly.

For full review check out www.digital-retribution.com

Lady Chatterley

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.

Latest News

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.

With the release of Black Sheep my interview with director Jonathan King has appeared in the latest issue of Filmink. I also previewed the film’s UK Premiere at this year’s Frightfest Festival on my regular blog interviewing Dave & Lou Elsey about their make-up work on the film.

The latest issue of Smoke & Mirrors has hit the shelves and as reported before features my articles on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the Kiwi horror film The Tattooist.

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.

This is England

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.

Mr Brooks

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!

As a footnote, the film has just been added to the line up for this years Filmfest Xtra at The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley on September 2nd. Go to www.frightfest.co.uk for details and to check out my latest "Dave Down Under" column.

The Simpsons Movie

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.

Latest News

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.

Next week I will be interviewing some of the team behind the forthcoming Australian horror film Prey. I’ll be talking to the films two leads; Nathalie Bassingthwaighte, lead singer of band Rogue Traders, in her first film role and Jesse Johnson….son of Don! I’ll also be having a few words with the films effects producers at Sharp FX and director George Miller.

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.

The Dead Girl

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.

Frightfest

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.

Sydney Film Festival week 2 round up

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.

The musical world was explored in two diverse but fabulous films. Anton Corbijn’s Control followed the life of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. Beautifully shot in black and white; the suburbs of Manchester have never looked or sounded this good. The central performance by Sam Riley is spellbinding. In a brave move the actors playing the band all sing and play rather than lip-synching. This gives performances a chilling resonance; in particular the bands rendition of Dead Souls is spell-binding stuff. The film runs as a perfect companion piece to Michael Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People, the both film’s portrayal’s of Tony Wilson battling out to see who can give the campest turn. In a close run competition, my favourite film 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.

After the Wedding was brought to us by the team who gave us Open Hearts and Brothers and starring the Denmark finest acting export Mads Mikkelsen. An incredibly moving tale of families and fatherhood that took many unexpected turns. It managed to be poignant and funny while pulling the heart-strings and Mikkelsen proved why he has the potential to be a massive star.

Death at a Funeral was the feel good comedy of the festival. Well about as feel good as a funeral can be. This is not your normal funeral, however, and Frank Oz has provided a marvellously over the top, bad taste treat. The audience was in stitches as the story unfolds and to divulge much of the story would do his comedic build up a great disservice. Lets just say when was the last time you went to a funeral after taking a tab of acid? A Great British farce.

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.

Set in Glasgow, Red Road was one of the surprises of the festival. Hard-hitting, sexually explicit and emotionally shattering the film’s delved into the distraught mind of a security woman who has lost her family. Left to watch the world go by on a bank of surveillance television screens she soon sees a path to salvation but the films shattering climax shows that all is not what it seems. The red raw performances from the leads, Kate Dickie and Tony Curran, are perfect examples of understatement. This film is a must see for anyone with a love of gritty cinema that is unwilling to compromise. An unexpected highlight of the festival.

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!

Finally it was of no surprise to me when Lucky Miles scooped the coverted Audience award for best film. The response to the film at the State screening was raptuous, to say the least, and was well deserved. Director Michael James Rowland has managed to make a hugely entertaining film about a highly controversial subject, and the reaction of the audience shows you how successful he has been at broaching this emotive topic.

Lucky Miles wins Sydney Film Festival audience award

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.

Black Sheep review

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.

It’s the most exciting debut feature by a Kiwi horror director since Peter Jackson took the reigns of Bad Taste and Black Sheep is almost guaranteed to achieve similar heights of cult notoriety. The effects work by the WETA Workshop and creature man Dave Elsey is fabulous. It’s obvious that everyone involved got a kick out of doing it “old school” style. The use of latex and rubber to create the gory mayhem may have been a budgetary decision but the lack of CGI is refreshing in this over saturated era. Arms, legs and every appendage imaginable go flying when the mobs of merino marauders attack. The transformations between man and sheep pay homage to the groundbreaking work of effects greats like Rick Baker and Rob Bottin as they distort every part of the human form. Black Sheep is a horror film love-in that vividly pays tribute to the films that the crew have an obvious affection for. You just know that each and everyone of them spent far too much of their childhoods in the local video shop.

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.

You have to approach a film like Black Sheep knowing exactly what you are going to get. Any film that uses the tagline “Get ready for the Violence of the Lambs!” is obviously not taking itself too seriously. It may be a one joke film but the mere idea of those gentle fluffy animals baring their teeth and ripping people limb from limb will be enough for most. King and friends have given us the most fun to be had in a horror film for many a year and if you don’t agree; ewe can just flock off.

Sydney Film Festival week 1 round up

Seven days straight in a dark movie theatre can only mean one thing for Sydneysiders; the end of the first week of the Sydney Film Festival. Spread over four cinemas including the majestic State Theatre, this years festival has gathered together a wealth of cinematic pleasures. Here are a few of my highlights so far.

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 festival’s line up perfectly mixed mainstream enjoyment with esoteric eclecticism. Guy Maddin’s extraordinary Brand Upon the Brain combined surreal imagery, pitch-black humour and silent movie techniques to often-hilarious effect. Lukas Moodysson’s Container, however, took a similar approach but the random black and white imagery set to a narration by actress Jena Malone managed to bemuse most. The film provoked a multitude of reactions including a healthy amount of walkouts. On the flip side the likes of Lee Sang-il’s Hula Girls and Thomas Villum Jensen’s Clash of Egos provided laughs a plenty. There were also happy faces abound at the early morning screening of the sparkling restored print of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T. A revelation for anyone who has only seen the film on its rare black and white screenings on television; the film showed how poor the recent cinematic forays into the weird world of Dr Seus really were.

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.

A revelation came in the form of two films by Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason, Children and Parents. Companion pieces inspired by Mike Leigh and featuring the same troupe of actors,;the films were a brutally honest look at life in the suburbs and follow the lives of some suitably dysfunctional families. Shocking outbursts of violence punctuate the films giving them an unnerving edge. Children in particular, is a highlight of the festival thus far.

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.

There were far too many more highlights to mention; Bella and Antonia also come highly recommended and it has to be said that so far the quality threshold has been very high indeed. Great news considering what we have to come next week. Thumbs up to new artistic director Clare Stewart and her crew. Check out www.cinephilia.net.au soon for full reviews of many of the films I have seen.

Latest News

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."

In magazine news the latest issue of Smoke & Mirrors features more of my interview with director Edgar Wright talking about Hot Fuzz. The Summer edition of Film Review includes another Vox Pops from 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.

For those in the Sydney area I’ll be appearing this Friday on Eastside FM 89.7’s Cinemascape show. This week, at 17:30 I’ll be reviewing the English comedy Driving Lessons starring Rupert Grint and Julie Walters.

Finally check out http://www.cinebeats.com/ for a review of the latest issue of Cinema Retro that gives my article on Danger: Diabolik a special mention. "Dave Brown’s tribute to Danger: Diabolik was fascinating to read and included information about the film that was new to me." It's always nice to be appreciated!

Breach

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.