REVIEW: Year of the Dog (2021)
Any dog owner can attest to the absolute purity of heart of their four-legged friends. To love and be loved by a dog is to know unwavering loyalty and profound companionship. Owning a dog is making a promise to care for and protect a creature…
REVIEW: Welcome to Spain (LFF 2021)
In Seville, a once-famous brothel has become a refugee centre. A place where refugees from all over the world, no matter their reason for leaving their home country, can stay as they learn about Spanish culture and go through the steps to get them the…
REVIEW: Fruits of Labor (2021)
The Donald Trump administration created an extremely hostile environment for immigrants all over America. Gone was the land of hope and dreams – replaced by threats and fears. Every immigrant, no matter where they came from, was deemed as a threat. No more so than…
REVIEW: Getting Away with Murder(s) (2021)
Just last week, a former Nazi concentration camp secretary – who was charged with aiding and abetting the murder of thousands – absconded from her war crimes trial. The 96 year old, who worked at Stutthof camp, is offering up the defence that she was…
REVIEW: Becoming Led Zeppelin (Venice 2021)
Bernard MacMahon’s officially sanctioned documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin is an amusing and indulgent, highly conventional ode to the band’s ‘supergroup’ origins. Featuring commentary from bassist John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page – with late drummer John Bonham appearing through historical radio interviews…
REVIEW: The Found Footage Phenomenon (FrightFest 2021)
Next to gory horror, found footage is my favourite horror subgenre. It’s one of the most unique looking film styles that is difficult to create. Because of this, I am not above admitting that the subgenre hasn’t always been done correctly and has gained an…
REVIEW: Handsome (2021)
Luke White’s new documentary, Handsome, follows two brothers, Nick and Alex who visit various locations across the world talking to siblings where one of the two, like Alex, lives with Down’s Syndrome. Opening with a frank admission that Nick used to be ashamed of his…
REVIEW: What We Left Unfinished (2021)
What happens to art when the political climate of a country is unstable and has an uncertain future? What if that art demands a lot of manpower and collaborative work and, of course, money? What is the life of a movie made under a regime…
REVIEW: Storm Lake (2021)
The pen, as the saying goes, is mightier than the sword. And, in light of recent international events – the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the detainment of Roman Protesavich – it is clear that good journalism still wields some power. Before the days of…
REVIEW: Julia Scotti – Funny That Way (2021)
TV talent shows have provided a springboard to stardom for many of today’s most famous acts; Harry Styles, Little Mix and Jennifer Hudson, among many others all found fame on TV talent competitions. However, whilst shows like these often discover new talents, they also offer…
REVIEW: Bastards’ Road (2021)
Spiritual pilgrimages have long been seen as a way to heal your body; your mind; your soul. The road itself is time to reflect; to assess what needs work; to make a change. The destination is often incidental or purely symbolic – the literal end…
TV REVIEW: The Sons of Sam (2021)
The Son of Sam murders in 1970s New York City are some of the most well-known, the most chilling, in all of true crime. When David Berkowitz was identified as the gunman responsible for the shootings that left seven people dead and several more seriously…
REVIEW: What Drives Us (2021)
If we were to look at Dave Grohl’s directorial efforts as an unofficial trilogy on the humane qualities of music, then it seems fitting that What Drives Us feels like the culmination of his previous observations. From tracking what keeps the recording process full of…
