Author: Francis

It’s been quite a year for some great, and not-so-great horror movies. With that also comes on-screen carnage. As we all know one of the things that make a great horror movie is the inventiveness of the kill, and this year there were some good ones. But with that originality came unsettling scenes of self-harm, child violence, and self-mutilation. Some detractors might ask, with all that’s going on in the world, why would anyone want to see such graphic displays? To them, I would emphasize that as a species we are intelligent enough to know that it is all fake.…

The Big Picture Quentin Tarantino’s original screenplay for Natural Born Killers was reworked by Oliver Stone into a film that reflected society’s obsession with true crime and the media’s role in perpetuating it. Tarantino disapproved of the changes made to his screenplay and considered Natural Born Killers to be a bastardization of his vision. Stone defended his creative choices, standing by the film and its scathing commentary on the American media while acknowledging Tarantino’s disappointment and disdain for the final product. By early 1993, having made his feature film debut the year before with Reservoir Dogs and gearing up for…

Jason Momoa returns as the king of Atlantis in Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom. Our review… Certificate: 12A Director: James Wan Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, James Wan, Jason Momoa Cast: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park Distributor: Warner Bros Running Time: 124 mins The omens were never good for the last superhero movie of 2023. A changing release date, a growing indifference towards the genre which treated Marvel and DC with equal contempt and Jason Momoa’s widely quoted comments about Aquaman’s future didn’t bode well for the return of the…

Studio Ghibli co-founder and Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki is back with The Boy And The Heron. Our review… By Katherine McLaughlin 26-12-23 70,748 Released: 26 December 2023 Certificate: TBC Director: Hayao Miyazaki Cast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Takuya Kimura Distributor: Elysian Film Group Running Time: 124 mins It has been a decade since the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, last released a film (The Wind Rises) and announced his retirement. At the age of 82 he makes a welcome return with The Boy and the Heron, his wild and surprising interpretation of Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 novel, How Do…

The Bricklayer is a new action film starring Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev. The film follows a rogue insurgent blackmailing the CIA by assassinating foreign journalists and making it appear the agency is responsible. As other nations turn against the U.S., the CIA must lure Steve Vail – their most brilliant and rebellious operative – out of retirement. With an elite and deadly skill set, Vail is tasked with helping clear the agency’s name, forcing him to confront his checkered past while unraveling an international conspiracy. The Bricklayer hits theaters, On Demand and Digital January 5, 2024. Watch the trailer…