The International Writers Magazine: FILM SPACE - Debate about Film - Archive

FILM TALK 2000-2024 Promethean Mystique De La Femme James Campion 3.23.24 In Praise of Poor Things Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things is a masterpiece of filmmaking ... Drive Away Dolls Starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein Road Movie on Diversion 3.20.24 * Wes Andersens 'Asteroid City' ** Mission Impossible 7 (Part 1) ***** Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny *** Oppenheimer ***** Dumb Money **** The whole Gamestop stock adventure vs the evil Hedge Funds brought poignantly to life. Starring Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and more. The Creator *** Big budget Ai sci-fi movie with a plot borrowed from so many other movies. Worth seeing but you keep rooting for Ai to win. Review of 'Wrong Side of the Tracks' (Netflix drama) 'Leroy B. Vaughn 1.5.23 Gritty Spanish Crime Drama (2 seasons) Running Up That Hill Sam Hawksmoor The power of the soundtrack on Stranger Things Everything Everywhere All at Once Sam Hawksmoor review 5.20.22 Written & Directed by Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis *11 Oscar nominations ‘Now, you may only see a pile of receipts, but I see a story.  I can see where this story is going.  And it does not look good.  It. Does. Not. Look. Good.’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Director: Sam Raimi Cast: Xochitl Gomez, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams A silly adventure fantasy that doesn't break new ground Don’t Look Up (2021) Dir: Adam McKay Story David Sirota Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill Satire in dire need of an edit The Politics, Culture & Spirit of Soul James Campion 7.16.21 In Praise of Summer Soul Musician and filmmaker, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson may well have made the seminal concert film of the age – the rock/soul/funk/gospel/blues American age. THE GHOSTS OF HATE & FREEDOM In Praise of Jojo Rabbit – The Best Film I Have Seen in a Decade James Campion We have to dance to show God we are grateful for being alive The Docks of New York (1928) Dean Borok The critical and commercial success of “The Artist” proves that the art of black and white silent cinema still holds value as a kind of celluloid (to coin an antiquated, but still charming expression) Kabuki Theater, where broad acting, exaggerated reactions and mime techniques convey the progress of the story line in place of spoken dialogue. The Summer of 'Annie Hall' at 40. James Campion Alvy and Annie’s relationship reveals the deeper truths in the insecurity of the dating world circa mid-70s (Alvy insists that he and Annie kiss in the middle of their first date to avoid nausea later) Free Fire Director Ben Wheatley Helen Reynolds review Free Fire tries to be a lot of things – from a 70s western, to a mafia stitch up – but namely it tries to be fun. Get Out Director: Jordan Peele with Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Helen Reyolds review Get Out is a horror suitably set in suburban America and rather than demons, ghosts and creepy kids, this film makes nightmares from deep-rooted racism. The Great Wall starring Matt Damon & Tian Jing Director Zhang Yimou Helen Reynolds review For a movie that has a monster acting as a metaphor for greed, it’s surprising just how engaging it is to watchSLOW WEST review Director: John Maclean Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn Charlotte March review Somehow found myself charmed by Michael Fassbender in a stetson the other day in Slow West: easily the best film I’ve seen all year ... Silmido (South Korea 2002) Director: Woo-Suk Kang Dean Borok Like repels like. Positive charges reject each other. No finer example of this rule exists than the Korean peninsula, which has been engaged in a vicious civil war for over six decades. Dr Strange Directed by Scott Derrickson, starring Benedict Cumberbatch Dr Strange - spectacular and stylish Catching Fire: Hunger Games - Part Two Sam North review The second one is always a hard task.  Do you remind everyone about what happened in the first or just get into it?  If you didn’t see part one – well why the hell not? The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part One starring Jennifer Lawrence Directed by Francis Lawrence Sam North review Dark, oppressive, moody – Mockingjay Part One reflects our times in more ways than one. Elysium Director & Writer: Neill Blomkamp Sam Hawksmoor review Being a big fan of District 9 I approached Elysium with enthusiasm and certainly the look and feel of the movie is ambitious. LA in 2154 is every bit as depressing as one would suspect it will be Oblivion Director: Joseph Kosinski Sam Hawksmoor a thinking persons sci-fi movie, stylish, beautiful to look at channeling Tarkovskiy The Blackboard Jungle Dan Schneider review Any film that stars Sidney Poitier is going to rise and fall on the basis of his presence. He is one of those classic actors, like a Jimmy Cagney, Spencer Tracy, or John Wayne, that simply captures the attention of an audience, for good or ill. 56 Up Dan Schneider Watching Michael Apted’s latest installment in the great The Up Series- whose films he’s all directed, save the first, helmed by Paul Almond, 56 Up, sees a film that is an exercise in expectation and disappointment Osaka Elegy - Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi Dan Schneider Osaka Elegy (Naniwa Erejii) is an early black and white film from the canon of Kenji Mizoguchi, one of the Big Three Film Masters from Japan, along with Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa. Almanac Of Fall Dan Schneider Having already seen Bela Tarr’s later film canon, it was an interesting excursion back in time, to see his 1984 color (yes, a color film from Tarr!) film, Almanac Of Fall (Öszi Almanach). What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Directed by Robert Aldrich Dan Schneider What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? is one of those films that almost everybody has a wrong opinion of, from critic to fan to hater. First, it’s simply not a Grand Guignol film. Why? It simply does not play out on a large enough scale. November 6, 2012: The Night of Living Dead Racists Gunter Chang The last 4 years have seen the biggest deterioration in political and social civility since Homo sapiens started dating Neanderthal women. Why So Much Violence? James Morford on Guns and Strangers in Film That the United States teems with violence is no surprise. Although biologists and psychologists assure there is no universal aggressive instinct, television, newspapers and magazines, daily report children assassinated, adults slaughtered, and geriatrics mutilated The Docks of New York (1928) Dean Borok The critical and commercial success of “The Artist” proves that the art of black and white silent cinema still holds value as a kind of celluloid (to coin an antiquated, but still charming expression) Kabuki Theater Moonrise Kingdom Directed by Wes Anderson with Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman Sam Hawksmoor review In what must be Wes Anderson’s most complete and coherent movie yet, Moonrise Kingdom arrives and is like a perfect summer picnic Maximillian Day: The Continuing Adventures of an inveterate film-maker - James Evans Films start, they go into production and you do your best with them, but for various reasons they don’t always get finished The Expendables Dir: Sylvester Stallone Dean Borok review Nobody is more sensible than I to the allure of seeing somebody lose his dental work in a flood of sputum as the result of a perfectly aimed flying hook kick. Glo-America on Parade James Campion 25.02.2011 The Oscars is the only award show worth watching, an annual fury of unchecked wagering (some larger than others) on the outcomes of Best Costume, Most Likely to Gaffer or some such. Movies without frontiers in Asia Jules Kay Thailand attracted plenty of Hollywood stars in 2010 with some of next year's top movies being filmed in the Kingdom Inception Written & Directed by Christopher Nolan Music Hans Zimmer Starring Leonardo de Caprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillan Murphy, Marion Cotillard. Tom Hardy Finally an adult film that engages all the emotions and is visually stunning. Surely the best movie of 2010 by far. Filming Action and Martial Arts in 3D Creates Both Challenges and Opportunities Antonio Graceffo “In some ways, 3D is like real life. It’s the way we see the world normally.”3D Guy, Al Caudullo. Couch Potato Film Festival Dean Borok I didn’t really see the point of attending the Cannes Film Festival this year. Since my pal Madoff lost his French yacht and got locked up for eternity-plus-150 years, I wouldn't have anybody to hang out with anyway. Avatar- A critique Saleem Ayoub Quna A Navi native's point of view Not a Vintage Year Movie Round-up 2009 District 9 to Where the Wild Things Are Waltz With Bashir (Vals Im Bashir) (2008) Directed and written by Ari Folman. Paul Rumble A pack of twenty six snarling dogs rampage through a middle eastern city, slavering and snarling, sending pedestrians and tables scattering. Videodrama Jack Clarkson Videogames and Hollywood have never really got along all that well. The games industry keeps making awful games that cash in on blockbuster movies. What I want to ask is why? Donnie Darko Written and Directed by Richard Kelly- Michael Webb "Twenty-eight days, six hours, forty two minutes, twelve seconds… that is when the world will end." This Means War: Sex and the City & the Assault on Modern Man - Kennedy Heather Being that I inhabit the western hemisphere and am either (a) a female or (b) a gay man, one of my central leisure pursuits is, of course watching Sex and the City. The show is definite in its demographic; this is part of its appeal. You wouldn’t invite your dentist bra shopping and by the same token you don’t expect your straight male pals to cosy up for a full-on SATC sesh. Such are the unspoken codes of civil society. Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki David Gordon on anime Real Horror in Anime Kayt Solomon on Hadashi No Gen Being There Directed by Hal Ashby Dan Schneider review Hal Ashby made a series of quirky films in the 1970s that were highly regarded, then succumbed to a drug addiction and died before the 1980s were through. The most famous of these were Harold And Maude, Shampoo, Coming Home, and Being There. A World Apart Gabriela Davies on two film 'Things we lost in the fire' comes as a clean break from the happy endings we are used to. The narrative is strong, yet simple Eastwood is Eastwood Gabriela Davies Some films are just a collection of clichés. These films can disappoint, they can comfort, they can bore, or they can turn everything on its head and surprise us Vinicius - Dir Miquel Faria Jnr Celebrating the Bossa Nova Gabriela Davies Floating Weeds Directed by Yasujiro Ozu's Dan Schneider Yasujiro Ozu was perhaps the greatest obsessional filmmaker in history Vincent & Theo Dan Schneider  Vincent & Theo, may be the worst film ever made by a major director who has made a great film. In The Mood For Love Dan Schneider Watching Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love, was an interesting experience: the 99 minute long film is clearly a superior work of art and cinema

Civil War – directed by Alex Garland Sam North review 4.27.24 Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson Babylon Directed by Damien Chazelle Sam North review 1.21.23 Starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Tobey Maguire, Jovan Adepo It’s a mess, but kind of like a road crash you stay to rubberneck as things unfold before you In Praise of Coda James Campion April 2022 Heder’s story is original and steeped in symbolism presented in a less opaque style prized by outside-the-mainstream films that openly trade in that artistic currency. Hindi Film Legend Dilip Kumar - 1922 - 2021 Harsh Thakor In the history of Hindi film industry no actor ever took intensity to such mythical proportions or regions as Dilip Kumar. Our Monster Fixation James Campion What Godzilla vs. Kong Tells Us About Our Times Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning Nostalgic and affectionate focus on the lives of actors in 1969 The Graduate at 50 James Campion Celebrating My Favorite Film with Author Beverly Gray The Graduate, which is now a half century old. It is, I believe, as flawless a work of art as I have absorbed for now 35 of those years. The Camera Never Lies (Except on Location) Robert Yareham Nobody really believes that the world portrayed in the cinema is the real world, even when the film in question claims to be based on ‘real events’ or a ‘true story’. The Development of Cross Gender Spectatorship Theory: A Survey of Contemporary Theory and its Application - Etan Jonathan Ilfeld The Brother From Another Planet Director John Sayles (1984) Alex Sheremet review Pulp (1972) DVD review Dan Schneider review Actors: Michael Caine, Mickey Rooney, Lionel Stander, Lizabeth Scott, Nadia Cassini Director: Mike Hodges Three Resurrected Drunkards Dan Schneider DVD review a sometimes fun and amusing comedy-absurdist drama... The Days Of Wine And Roses Dan Schneider review October 2nd, 1958 Playhouse 90 episode called The Days Of Wine And Roses, scripted by J.P. Miller, and directed by John Frankenheimer. Twenty-Four Eyes - a Keisuke Kinoshita film a Dan Schneider review Twenty-Four Eyes ... is one of the worst filmic disappointments I can recall. Italian Fascism In Color Dan Schneider Fortunately, what saves the film from being a disaster is Benito Mussolini and his thugs The Roaring Twenties Dan Schneider Watching Raoul Walsh’s black and white gangster film, The Roaring Twenties, from 1939, is watching the tail end of an era of genre films that had run its course, and was pretty hollowed out. I Vitelloni Dan Schneider Sometimes, after achieving a certain level, an artist makes a slight regression before hitting the heights of greatness. Such an arc is apparent to me after having watched Federico Fellini’s 1953, black and white Neo-Realist film,I Vitelloni Ten Tiny Love Stories Dan Schneider review a film that should be seen, and in its best scenarios, embraced Hands Over The City Dean Borok Francesco Rosi’s scathing depiction of municipal corruption in 1960’s Naples Sunset Boulevard Dan Schneider DVD review Sunset Boulevard is a grand entertainment, if a bit light on enlightenment. Teorema Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini Dan Schneider How best to describe one of the worst films I’ve ever watched? The Quiet Duel Director:Akira Kurosawa Dan Schneider Great artists have a way to make even their lesser works interesting, if not great. Such is the case with the 1949 black and white film, The Quiet Duel Movie Town for Thailand Jules Kay Thailand has long been known as a popular choice for filmmakers. With a US$650-million Movie Town project scheduled to open in Chiang Mai 2012, Thailand may soon become Hollywood's favourite supporting actor. Watchmen Directed by Zack Snyder. Jack Clarkson If you’ve read the book, go watch the movie, you owe it to yourself, and frankly, they deserve the price of admission Fanning the Flames: how the ‘queer space’ of the internet and the writing of fan fiction enhances the fictional universe of Torchwood Jodie Corney Crumb - Directed by Terry Zwigoff Dan Schnieder review upon rewatching the film, the first thing that stands out about it is how poorly it has held up as a filmic ‘portrait of an artist’. Control (2007) Directed by Anton Corbijn Russ Thomas Starring Samantha Morton and Sam Riley Control is the tragic story of Ian Curtis, ex-frontman for Joy Division Superbad Greg Mottola (Director), Russell Thomas Superbad is testament to the fact that teen movies based in and around American high schools will never be exhausted. Borat: Dir. Larry Charles Emma King If there was ever a comedy that made such a phenomenal impact on its audience, it must be Borat Day for Night Directed by Francois Truffaut Dan Schnieder Critics argue the film shows how much François Truffaut loves film. So? Love without action or meaning is rather sterile- the perfect description for this well made but dull and simply pointless film. Kung Fu Panda and The Brooklyn Monk Antonio Graceffo When you train, you battle yourself. You wrestle your internal demons forcing your mind and body to bend. We all know the story of the sculpture who was asked how he carved such a perfect warrior from stone. He answered, "The warrior as already there, I just removed the excess stone." The Legend of the Philadelphia Story The Saving of a Screen Icon’s Career Rick Neal Who is the greatest Hollywood star of all time? Ask six different people and you’ll get six different answers. Chick Lit & Chick Flicks Callum Graham It’s sexist, elitist, self indulgent and often badly written. And you know what? It’s exactly the same as men’s Wristcutters: A Love Story Director: Goran Dukic Calvin Hussey review To judge a book, or DVD as it were, by its cover the title "Wristcutters" doesn’t exactly conjure up the most positive of images. Wendy and Lucy Tiffany Lee When a film captures the deep insecurities of modern society with little but a girl and her dog, it makes you wonder, should the Hollywood majors be looking to independent films for guidance in getting it right? 9 - Directed by Shane Acker Sam North review This is simply the most amazing, wonderful, visually stunning and thrilling movie of the year... sadly you will probably have missed it. Let the Right One In Directed by Tomas Alfredson Aby Davis review Something spooky has come over me, in recent months I have found myself cautiously peering into the genre of horror and being pleasantly thrilled with the results. The Film Club by David Gilmour Gabriela M Davies review A father and Son build their relationship around film Sobre Las Olas and Latin Film Dean Borok review Of all the world’s language groups, the most fascinating and sophisticated film output derives from the Spanish-speaking countries of Europe and Latin America, with their diverse and unique historical experiences and cultural points of view From Page to Screen: a few vexed issues to ponder upon while chewing your popcorn - Chris Mills I have wanted to have a go at writing something about film and television adaptations of books for a while, but the subject is quite large and unwieldy to get to grips with easily and to do justice. The Beast Of Yucca Flats Directed by Coleman Francis. With Tor Johnson, Barbara Francis, Bing Stafford. - Dan Schneider how I missed this is beyond me; especially given that its lead star is the truly legendary Tor Johnson, of Plan 9 From Outer Space infamy. Variety Lights Dan Schneider If you have ever wondered why Federico Fellini's film was called Eight and a Half , the reason is simple. It was the eighth full film he had directed, till that point, along with a 1/2 film credit, which was his debut effort, Fresa y Chocolate Directors: Alea & Tabio Anne Marie-Dover A bigoted and fervently heterosexual young man and an older, decadent homosexual is very promising, the plot reveals a sensitivity that has made Fresas y Chocolate one of the most celebrated Latin American films of the 90’s. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid Directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan Joesef Fiser Pat Garrett is a 35 year old film about an event hundreds year ago which never actually happened, taking place in setting which, at best, only resembles the reality. The Jimmy Show Directed by Frank Whaley Dan Schnieder DVD review and analysis of this Blue Collar drama Dynarama:RIP Ray Harryhausen John M. Edwards Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest movie ever made!

A Woody Allen Primer Part One Robert Cottingham- introduction 01.07.05 Woody Allen Primer - Part Two Robert Cottingham on Annie Hall Woody Allen Primer - Part three Robert Cottingham on Broadway Danny Rose and The Purple Rose of Cairo Woody Being Woody James Campion on Whatever Works Allen has continued to present a freshly consistent string of darkly funny, thought-provoking satires on the human condition and modern society at large. Desperately Seeking Students 10.01.06 Sam North on Teaching Desperate Housewives FILM: Entertainment or Education? Danielle Ward investigates Douglas Coupland v P.D. James Claire Murray takes them both on History in Cinema: Downfall v Kingdom of Heaven - El Branden Brazil investigates 06.01.05 Can Woody Allen still cut it at 70? Robert Cottingham 09.02.05 Match Point - Dir Woody Allen Rob Cottingham review Desperate Housewives A First look Robert Cottingham King Arthur Take 2 (DVD review) Dan Schnieder Judging Kilmer Dan Schnieder on Val Kilmer -The Salton Sea & Wonderland Zatoichi Dir Takeshi Kitano Machuca Dir Andrés Wood Guy Burton Paradise as The 'Other ' Place Amanda Williams debates happiness in cinema On Being a Screenwriter Allan Gibson Time to cash a reality cheque. The Films of M.Night Shyamalan Andrew Stuart begs to differ Capote Dir Bennet Miller A Dan Schneider essay Good Bye Lenin Dan Schnieder - a worthwhile film Signs Dir M Night Shyamalan (DVD) Liz Barlow finds God Flight 93 v World Trade Center Holly Joy compares two 9/11 movies Sin City DVD Miller/Rodrigez Claire Murray Desperation, madness, lust, passion and loss Iklimler (Climates) Carly McClain on this Turkish movie Children of Men Dir A. Cuaron Jen Ames review of Sci-Fi thriller Los Amantes del Cíclo Polar Dir Julio Medem A Gabriela Davis review The Road Movie - essay - In depth look at The Road Movie in history by Sam North Hal Hartley - analysis Sam North Screenwriting 101 - Characters British Film - Fade in or out? Notes for a short film : Conflict British Film Director Michael Winterbottom Chameleon or Opportunist - 24 Hour party People The Cult of Fatal Illness in Brit cinema

Snow and Blood Rosie Burbridge on Tarantino and Lady Snowblood Youth, Modernisation and Japan Richard Stirland on Battle Royale Wither The Japanese Family in Film Victoria Groom Sin City Lily J Parker Chicago Musical v The Film Kate Maskell Jaws: Spielberg v Benchley Alex Segal Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice Amy Barlow One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest Sally Hawksford Dracula - Take Two (1992) Rebecca Kingsbury Carrie Directed by Brian de Palma DVD review - Lucy Bailey High Fidelity (Nick Hornby) Holly Bates compares book and movie Chocolat Dir Lasse Halstrom Gemma Ayres review Blade Runner Dir Ridley Scott - Michael Halmshaw review Roswell - From Book to TV Screen Jenny Atkins Evita - from stage to screen Suzannah Brooksbank Titanic Rebecca Kingsbury From Hell - Jack the Ripper Kerry Savage All About My Mother Dir: P.Almodovar Gabriela Davis Rope Dir Alfred Hitchock Dan Schnieder review Amores Perros Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Gabriela Davies 21 Grams Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Gabriela Davies Regeneration (aka Behind The Lines) Dan Schneider on a great war film J.Lee Thompson a film directors life Alex Grant

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