By Susanna Finn It seems fair to say that most parents have plans and ambitions for their children’s future, and this is only natural or at least expected, but what happens if the child turns out to be someone for who those goals and ambitions are no longer appropriate? What do you do with the daughter who stubbornly refuses to marry that filthy rich megalomaniac … Continue reading Review: Paradise Hills
By Caz Armstrong This review contains spoilers I haven’t been so uncomfortable in the cinema for a very long time. Not because of the seats, they had fancy electronic recliners and footrests. But the tone and content of this film were immensely stressful – in a bad way. “Uncut Gems” (from directors Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie) follows Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a Jewish jewelry … Continue reading LFF Exclusive Review: Uncut Gems
There’s a scene in the fantastic 1984-set film “Pride” where a young gay man – keeping his sexuality a secret film his suburban London family – sits watching the TV with his boorish brother-in-law. On the telly is a government message about AIDS. “Arse Injected Death Sentence” guffaws the idiot, referencing the homophobic myth that AIDS was a gay problem (even if the LGBTQ+ community was hit devastatingly hard by the disease in the 80s).
As “Pride” illustrates, the epidemic saw those diagnosed with the disease ostracised from much of society. Cinema of the 80s and 90s tackled the issue both directly, with films such as “Philadelphia”, “Kids”, and “An Early Frost”, as well as indirectly, with movies like “Return Of the Living Dead”, “The Fly”, and vampire neo-Western “Near Dark”. Continue reading 31 Days of Horror, Day 11: Near Dark
Film is comprised of two elements; image and sound. For generations, filmmakers from all walks of life have utilized these two elements to create tapestries for audiences to get immersed in. But only a select few directors in film history have utilized these elements in tandem. There was Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, and now there’s Lynne Ramsay. Continue reading Spotlight: Lynne Ramsay
In Their Own League 