Ireland is a difficult place to capture on film. It is a country of parallels and intricacies that go far beyond the often displayed drunken paddywhackery and council estate bleakness that usually perpetrate Irish based movies. It is due to this (and my own natural cynicism) that I tend to approach cinema from my homeland [...]
Outside of the fans and those whom it directly affects, road racing is somewhat of a dirty secret in the world of international motorsport. There are only three places in the world where at a certain time of year, public roads are closed off for a series of motorbike races in which riders careen through [...]
As a young man whose primary cinematic adventures were facilitated by the local video store in the late 1980’and early 90’s, I juxtaposed a diet of horror and unsuitable comedies with as many blood and vengeance filled action movies as I could lay my paws on. My friends at the time were a lot more [...]
The Devil’s Double is a big shiny, sexy, explosive movie which has nasty bits and explosions and boobs in it. It is allegedly based on the accounts of Latif Yahia, an ex-soldier who was employed as the body double of Uday Hussein (played here by Freddie Mercury). Latif is forcibly recruited when it occurs to [...]
People love a good underdog story, they also love an all-American kick ass hero. Warrior went the whole hog and gives us both. Wait! People also love a story about damaged relationships being slowly repaired after a tumultuous series of events. Best add that too then. It’s also a good idea to have a venerable [...]
Long before the grandiose spectacular of Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola made a few movies with no real artistic intention beyond watching ladies shake their ta-tas around. After a brief and relatively forgettable foray into the world of the nudie cuties, Copolla was given the opportunity to direct a gory, suspenseful thriller [...]
And with that, we are back in business. Prolonged absence aside for the moment, it is Monday, which means that if you are watching television you are in dire need of assistance. TV is awash with people cooking, people dancing, people singing and subsequently, people taking part in competitions which evaluate the performances of the [...]
Along comes another Monday and with it the worries and woes of the daily drudgery that is life. What better way to distract oneself than with a cinematic immersion of the macabre variety? You’ve all been lovely and delightful so far, giving some great feedback, suggestions and requests for upcoming features. As long as they [...]
Very saddened to hear about the passing of David Hess last night in San Francisco. Sasha Grey, who starred alongside Hess in the fantastic Smash Cut announced the news this evening. Hess was the most memorable performance in both Last House on the Left (1972) and The House on the Edge of the Park (1980). [...]
There have been some fine horror and sleaze documentaries of late, Machete Maidens Unleashed explored the seedier side of Pilipino Exploitation cinema, whilst American Grindhouse examined its transatlantic counterpart. Whilst the movies in question span from around the globe, Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape is a thoroughly British affair. An interesting perspective from [...]