Bullhead Review

In February 2011 Bullhead, the directing debut of Michaël R. Roskam, was released in Belgian cinemas and enjoyed success with both viewers and critics. Later that year it was selected and lauded by multiple international festivals. The director Roskam appeared on the “Ten directors to watch” list of Variety and it’s rumored that Hollywood is interested in Matthias Schoenaerts, who plays the lead in the film. But all this praise for a rather small Belgian movie pales in comparison to the news released a few days ago. Bullhead has been nominated for the “Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film”. It is in the light of this latest bit of praise that I went to revisit this tale of animals and hormones but above all of one’s humanity.

When you hear the opening monologue of the movie you already sense you’re in for something rather special. Beneath the surface it already hints at the deeper themes of the movie in a profound but delicate way.

You might’ve heard about Schoenaerts who gained 25 kilos of muscle for the role. And while this may sound impressive one might argue that the role of an actor is not (only) one of physical transformation. But transformation is more than physical the movement, the look, the tics but predominantly the eyes. The praise Schoenaerts presentation received is no hyperbole, it is a full and complete character. And quite a meaty one at that.

The movie has excellent pace there is never a dull moment as the story slowly unfolds and brings you deeper and deeper in its ever escalating tragedy. The finale especially is a powerful piece of cinematography, it almost feels hallucinatory, with powerful acting and beautiful camerawork. Speaking of which, the camerawork throughout the whole movie is splendid it doesn’t take the forefront by quick montages and flashes of imagery but just produces powerful images with panning slowly and making great use of depth of field which creates ghostlike visions that suite the overall tone and story rather nicely. The music has the same use keeping a low profile; but still contributing in acquiring that overall powerful emotional feel.

Well after all this praise I have to admit the movie is not without its faults. The gags with the two Walloon mechanics are in the vain of a typical French comedy (be it of a lesser comedic quality) which is indeed an acquired taste. And some might say they feel a bit out of place.

You might’ve noticed I didn’t provide a synopsis of the story as is customary in reviews. I did this for two reasons.What I particularly like about the movie is its deeper underlying story. At first it might seem like a regular cops an gangster movie with some side story, but it is quite a bit more than that. It is a movie which touches on a few difficult themes and an intricate way. It is a story about the border between feeling human and the bestial. What it is like, to not feel normal and the obsessions it creates. And it tells this using a strong, hypnotic narrative, supported by equally strong visuals. A movie with balls, powerful but fragile at the same time.

Lieven Glovers

★★★★1/2

Rating:15
Release Date: 1st February 2013 (UK)
Director:Michaël R. Roskam
Cast:  Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy

*This is a reprint of review posted 4th February 2012
T

Ask Gael Garcia Bernal A Question, In live Q&A For NO

Gael Garcia Bernal is starring in 'No', the Oscar-nominated film looking at the referendum and ad campaign that helped force General Pinochet out of office.

Gael is no stranger to Amnesty, or to political films - he worked with us to create The Invisibles, four films which charted the dangerous journey across Mexico for migrants who are kidnapped, raped and sometimes murdered as they aim for America. He also played Ernesto Guevara (Che) in The Motorcycle Diaries.

Send us your questions for Gael - about his new film 'No', his previous work, or anything else - and we'll ask him a selection during a live Youtube broadcast on Thursday. Leave them as a comment, or ask them on Twitter using #AskGael

You can also send in your questions for Eugenio Garcia, one of the two advertising executives who created Chile's 'No' campaign, who Gael's character in 'No' is partly based.

The event is happening  in association with Amnesty International on Thursday 31st January at 1545 until 1630 (GMT)

Watch Creepy Clip For Jennifer Lynch's Chained

She is certainly a 'daddy's girl' Jennifer Lynch as her latest film Chained is showing her daddy David Lynch has certain been a 'father figure' to her inspiring twisted wholesomeness.

This Friday will see the limited cinema release of Chained starring Vincent D'Onfrio as Bob the serial killing taxi-driver, but he is a serial killer with a difference. One of his victims had a boy and he raises him not as a father/ son relationship but to be his protege calling him rabbit instead of Tim his correct name, but will he follow his new found daddy's steps?

Below is a new creepy clip which shows the new family set up is not as happy and dynamic as it should be.


Chained is set for a limited release in UK cinemas on 1st February with the film been released on DVD& Blu-Ray from 4th February. Chained stars Evan Bird, Jake Weber and Julia Ormond.

source:Totalfilm

Treat Your Other Half With Future Cinema Presents…Casablanca At The Troxy

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine”

If your ever looking for an cinematic experience with a difference our friends  Future Cinema, the creators of Secret Cinema know how to deliver that experience and this February  they return for a classic romantic film. Returning  to the Troxy for a Valentine’s Day special, bringing to life the enduring tale of love, exile and adventure, the iconic romance  – Casablanca.

 It is 1941 and the Second World War is raging. The Germans have taken Paris and occupied France.

Casablanca is one of the last free cities. The city is a melting pot of cultures, stories and sights.  People are desperate to flee a tumultuous Europe and are looking for safe passage across the Atlantic to the Americas. Amidst the turmoil and the frenzy, Ricks Café Americain is a haven for refugees trying to purchase illicit papers and flee the fast approaching war. On a dark night, amongst the chaos, a world-weary Rick Blaine meets his one time love…

 Future Cinema invites audiences to step inside the world of Casablanca as the Troxy is transformed into the most exclusive night-spot in town, and join Rick and Ilsa on this whirlwind of mystery, romance and espionage. Gather around Sam’s Piano and join in the chorus of the Marseillaise, dance to Benoit Viellefon and his Orchestra, dine at the Blue Parrot Café with food by acclaimed Spanish/North African London restaurant Moro, search for secret bars and discover secret bands, explore the vivid and wild Casablanca and re-live the story as never before.

Applications for identity papers will be open this Tuesday 29^th January, from 1.00pm at www.futurecinema.co.uk/tickets.

Other news from Future Cinema: Following the sold-out Secret Cinema production of The Shawshank Redemption (October 31^st - December 2^nd 2012), Future Cinema reopened the production on Thursday, January 10th, with an extended run until February 24^th. Court times can be booked here: www.futurecinema.co.uk/tickets.





-       Future Cinema presents Casablanca

Dates:   14th February – 3^rd March 2013

            Tickets: www.futurecinema.co.uk/tickets (£25 Full / £20 Concessions / £15 Children (matinees only))

-       2013 Extension: Future Cinema presents The Shawshank Redemption

Dates:  10^th January - 24th February 2013. Productions will take place on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: www.futurecinema.co.uk/tickets (£43.50 Full / £33.50 Concessions)

Here's a little video on the Shawshank  Redemption event:

-       Secret Cinema 20 – London, New York and Athens

Dates: 24^th April – 5^th May 2013 in an undisclosed location in London and launching in New York and Athens.

Tickets: www.secretcinema.org/tickets - on sale date TBA

If your a newbie to the Future and Secret Cinema you can get more information at  www.secretcinema.org / www.futurecinema.co.uk

American Mary Review

The Soska Sisters’ ambitious yet flawed debut feature Dead Hooker in a Trunk was just enough to get their feet in the door, something we can all be pretty grateful for considering the impressive cult legend that is their second feature film: American Mary.

                Katharine Isabelle stars as Mary, a dedicated and gifted young medical student struggling to make ends meet. After she responds to a Job advert for a local strip joint she is forced to use her skills in shady circumstance for the club owner. The result is $5000 and the promise she will keep her mouth shut. Soon, news of Mary’s skills reaches the black market and she begins to spiral into an underworld of people infatuated with body modification. Whatever needs done “Bloody Mary” can do… for a price.

                Everything that was perhaps amateur about Dead Hooker is sorted in American Mary, a film that is, for all its guts and glory, a fairly muted affair centred around a great principal idea. That’s no said to muddy the sisters’ use of gore (since this is a film at points dripping with the stuff) but the strong point is in the fact it doesn’t rush into being a horror film. At the very least that it doesn’t seem too interested in being a conformist piece of slash-happy Friday night fun.  Too often Indy horror dwindles in the plot department letting any terror miss-fire since we don’t actually give a shit about what’s going on.  Here the Twisted Twins have parodied American ideals, hinting that the macabre side of life is almost unavoidable in this: a film that narrates the collision point of sex, money, and the American Dream.

Isabelle is largely to thank for the success of the film, having spent plenty of time being fodder for serial killers (Freddy vs. Jason comes nostalgically to mind) she gets a shot at being an unexpected but formidable force. A careful balance of stone-cold calculating and human guilt hedges in the possibility of the ridiculous. If there’s any gripe about her performance it’s that she’s not given enough scenes to explore the more guilt-ridden side of Mary.

                Very quickly the film reveals a slick black heart wrapped in blood, mayhem, and sex.  The Soska’s obviously have a direction they want to take their own brand of visceral charm, but at times this seems too recycled. Moments that should have been truly deranged are lost in translation, the shock factor reined in by repetition. Cult imagery rears its triumphant head at numerous points, proving the Soska’s have the capacity for impressive mise en scene. An example?  Isabelle decked in stripper-wear performing surgery in a strip club basement jumps to mind first. It’s the sort of thing that sticks in your head.

                Plot-wise the film is pretty fluid, a nice birth-of-the-monster origin story makes the first half a hoot, but there seems to be some trouble with which direction to take the film in once Mary is taken advantage of. The revenge idea is great and certainly gives the film drive, but act two just seems a little bare, add this to the out-of-nowhere ending and the film seems to degrade slightly from its strong opening.

American Mary takes the passion and rage of a revenge film mixes it with modern gothic, anchors it with a great central performance, wraps the whole sordid affair in a slick and black shiny wrapping then lets it spin into an urban legend. Perhaps the spinning goes a little too far out of control and some wobbly decisions leave the film on a downer, but at this rate of improvement the Twisted Twins’ next piece should be genius.

SCOTT CLARK

★★★☆☆

UK Rating: 18
DVD/BD Release Date: 28th January 2013 (UK)
Director: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska
Cast:  Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, Tristan Risk

The Confrontation (Fényes szelek) DVD Review

“Those who have never seen a film by Jancsó from the 1960s, when this Hungarian director was at his peak, are usually astonished by the experience,” says renowned critic Derek Malcolm in a statement that those of us who have seen the masterpieces The Round Up and The Red and the White know only too well. With The Confrontation, the fifth, and hopefully not the last, of the director’s films to be released by Second Run DVD, the results are, at times, equally astonishing and, although the film never reaches the lofty heights of those previously mentioned, it is the film’s beautiful use of colour that sets it apart from the others.

The Confrontation is Jancsó’s first film to make use of colour and, as the informative essay by Graham Petrie included with the DVD makes clear, it is this “visual and aural style of the film” that moves his aesthetic away from the black and white realism of his previous films into a more colourful and co-ordinated direction.

The film is set, much like with Jancsó’s previous films, in Hungary’s past. In this instance the backdrop is the student protests that occurred in the newly Communist Hungary of 1947. The film draws upon the director’s own experiences with the ‘Peoples’ Colleges’ protests, whose aim was to make University more accessible to working class students, and can clearly be seen as a parallel to the student protests that happened in both France and the United States, as well as elsewhere, during 1968.

The film’s story is centred on a demonstration that takes place in the courtyard of a church run school in which the protesting students try to persuade the school’s students to join their cause. It is through this demonstration that the films theme becomes clear. Whereas Jancsó’s previous films concentrated on an exploration of the power of nature, The Confrontation concentrates on an examination of the tactics and beliefs necessary for revolution, with the student’s loyalties split between two leaders; one who prefers to use compromise and negotiation and the other who sees violence as a necessity.

While the film never reaches the heights of Jancsó’s best films, all in all the film is beautifully colourful, wonderfully choreographed, and ultimately a fascinating experience.

Shane James

★★★★☆

Rating:U
BD Release Date: 28 January 2013 (UK)
Director: Miklós Jancsó
Cast: Andrea Drahota, Kati Kovács, Lajos Balázsovits
Buy:The Confrontation (Fényes szelek) [DVD]

Park Circus To Re-Release Jerry Schatzberg's Digitally Restored Scarecrow

Park Circus have announced 26th April 2013 sees the UK re-release of Jerry Schatzberg's Scarecrow,starring Al Pacino and Gene Hackman. Scarecrow has been digitally remastered to celebrate the Palme d'Or winning film's 40th Anniversary.

From professional photographer Jerry Schatzberg won the Palme d’Or in 1973 for this rarely screened eccentric on-the-road American classic, starring the acclaimed duo Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. A tale of intense and newfound friendship between lowly Max (Hackman – stated as his favourite ever role) and Lion (Pacino), Scarecrow is digitally restored and ripe for rediscovery on the big screen.
Opening amidst an isolated backdrop of dusty American landscape, Max, just released from prison, happens upon Lion. A muted meeting at first soon blossoms into the beginning of a new friendship that takes them hitchhiking across America to realise Max’s dream of opening his own car wash in Pittsburgh. Encountering a series of oddball characters along the way, often delving deep into the protagonists’ peculiarities and personal problems, Scarecrow is an intriguing, gritty gem from a significant period of great American cinema.

Scarecrow has been newly restored by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film will open in the UK on 26th April at BFI Southbank and selected cinemas nationwide.

'Nothing Will Get In His Way'- New Clip For The Fall Of The Essex Boys

Brit crime thriller The Fall Of The Essex Boys, which hits cinemas 8th February, and we have a brand new clip, showcasing hat the film has to offer.

Told from the point of view of gang member and police informant Darren Nicholls, this Lock Stock-esque new twist on the infamous Rettendon Range Rover murders stars Brit favourites Nick Nevern (The Rise and Fall Of The White Collar Hooligan), Robert Cavanah (The Borgias, Pimp), Kate Magowan (Kidulthood, Stardust) and BAFTA nominated Kierston Wareing (Fish Tank, Eastenders).

The clip sees Kierston Wareing and Robert Cavanah discussing her life as a wife of The Firm, and the magnetic danger that means she can never leave. The Fall Of The Essex Boys  also stars Simon Phillips, Peter Woodward, Craig Rolfe and Roman Kemp. Film arrives 8th February for limited cinema release before it's home release on 18 February.

Synopsis:The 1995 Rettendon Triple Murder. Not since Jack The Ripper has a killer’s identity so captivated the nation. The gruesome death of three drug dealers has spawned a miniature industry – books, TV programmes, merchandise, conventions and – of course – feature films. The appetite for gory detail and suppressed gangland secrets remains unabated, and is constantly titillated further with new tales of football hooliganism, international drug smuggling and police conspiracies of silence.

An 18 year old girl going into a coma after taking an ecstasy pill from a bad batch is the catalyst that sets in motion a series of events that leads to the demise of one of the most infamous criminal organisations in British History. Detective Inspector Stone steps in to try and put pressure on an untouchable unit of criminals – Pat Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe. The Essex Boys. In order to bring the criminals   down, he must act out of the law to get things done.
As the Essex Boys grow stronger and more fearless, their addiction to drugs and power slowly starts to spiral out of control and they soon start to develop enemies everywhere.As Stone starts to see the cracks forming in their organisation and with pressure from his peers he soon realises that bringing them down will be inevitable but the real test will come when he must find a way of getting his man on the inside out safely.

Piranha Blu-Ray Review

Piranha is Joe Dante's official solo directorial debut, he co-directed some of Hollywood Boulevard. Dante would later go on to make such films as Gremlins, Matinee, the Burbs, Small Soldiers and more recently The Hole and he also hosts the online youtube channel Trailers from Hell which him and other directors do commentary on old film trailers. He also was the creator behind one of my favourite tv shows Eerie Indiana. Joe Dante like too many great directors before him started in the Roger Corman (also a great director in his own right… just watch The Intruder) school of filmmaking.

Piranha isn't one of Dante's finest films at any stretch of the imagination but it's a perfectly fine enjoyable rip-off of Steven Spielberg's much more superior film Jaws. Roger Corman from the start would often do films that rip-off popular films of the time or what was popular in the youth market; for instance during the start of hippie era, he made The Trip which was all about taking LSD (Dante has been trying to get film about making of The Trip off the ground for a while now). The films Corman directed himself would usually be the superior films he made.

The film literally opens with a Jaws video game and has numerous nods to the film throughout the film. Universal tried to sue the filmmakers for spoofing Jaws but Spielberg was so impressed with it's rip-off he later hired Dante to make his best film to date Gremlins and Universal obviously dropped their lawsuit. Piranha like most of Dante's films have a very nice sense of humour of everything it's doing but not in obnoxious way that certain films of this ilk do. The film is also noted for it being the screenwriting debut of John Sayles who would take his profits from the film (and other screenwriting jobs for hire) to make his own deeply personal films.

Overall the film is a amusing rip-off of Jaws while it's certainly not any of the filmmaker's involved best work at all, it's a perfectly decent 90 minutes. It also features great cameos from Corman regulars such as Paul Bartel and Dick Miller. Second Sight has done a very nice blu-ray package with lots of bonus material and also they have starting releasing some interesting cult films of late such as Southern Comfort and From Beyond (will be reviewed later on this site in the year).

Ian Schultz

★★★☆☆

Rating:15
BD Release Date: 28 January 2013 (UK)
Director:Joe Dante
Cast: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies-Urich, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn,Dick Miller
Buy:Piranha [Blu-ray] [1978]

Manborg DVD Review

When a film comes our way and one of the first pieces of information we hear regarding said film is that its budget was a measly $1000, yet it still made London Sci-Fi Festival and is getting some pretty rave reviews…we’re pretty much there, popcorn ready. Manborg, the latest cult extravaganza from retro-style production company Astron-6, is the outcome of three long years of scraping through dumpsters, crafting totally low-end effects, and the amalgamation of numerous 70’s and 80’s Sci-Fi B-movie exploitation films with ridiculous names and cool covers. It’s not exactly a revolution to state this film is strictly for B-movie fans.

Nazi demons, led by the evil count Draculon, spill out of Hell to conquer the Earth and, after losing his brother to the forces of darkness, an unnamed warrior is decimated by the Count and left amidst the bodies of the crushed rebellion. A mysterious figure puts the unnamed warrior back together, merging his crushed form with powerful cybernetic equipment to create Manborg- Cyborg of Destruction. The one man army then rages a war against Draculon and his nefarious minions with the future of Earth in the balance.

What we have here is a Robocop throwback with a microscopic budget yet it actually benefits from being stripped back to basics. The Harryhausen cybernetic monsters, an 80’s synth-led soundtrack reminiscent of Terminator and Carpenter films, the bizarre costumes, cheesy dialogue and OTT gore, are all welcome components of a nostalgia trip to weird 80’s action films. There are moments where you’ll wonder just how the hell the film got entertained for release or even production, but charm alone carves a hefty path through cynicism, never mind entertainment value. Everyone involved is in on exactly what type of film is being made, nobody takes themselves too seriously and the obviously cheesy/ludicrous characterization is, hopefully, purposeful.

It would probably be pedantic to complain about the childish sense of humour when the context of the film is considered, any film willing to rerecord a character’s voice to give him a badly dubbed macho tone, or have a zombie-demon-Nazi-doctor fall for the punky girl held captive in his fortress, deserves some slack. However there are some overly out-there moments that sometimes drag the film into being plain bad, when overall it seems pretty mindful of its retro arcade game/ 80’s cheese-fest inspirations.

Fight scenes actually work really well and the film can boast a fairly non-stop pacing that allows its running time of an hour to remain favourable from start to bloody conclusion. There’s a topless karate expert, a gun slinging nutter and his gorgeous sister, an adventure to save the planet, some great old-fashioned effects, and gory fight sequences all wrapped up in a keen video game style that only adds to the allure of the film. On that note, Manborg would make a pretty epic video game.

Imagine an action-packed particularly gory trashy episode of Red Dwarf with cheesier scripting all filmed by Tekken nerds. If you’re game for silly retro fun and old school outlandish characters then Manborg is a must-see, otherwise, steer clear of this wholly silly affair.

Scott Clark

★★★★☆

Rating: 15
DVD Release Date: 4th February 2013 (UK)
Directed by:Steven Kostanski
Cast: Matthew Kennedy, Adam Brooks , Meredith Sweeney
Buy/Pre-order:Manborg DVD