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Author Archives: Ross Birks
Elgar: Portrait of a Composer (1962)
My first encounter with BBC-era Ken Russell. Elgar might not seem like much today but if you do a bit of background reading you’ll realise just how innovative and bold this docudrama was for its time. Russell had to fight the BBC … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Elgar: Portrait of a Composer, Ken Russell
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Songs from the Second Floor (2000)
Upon seeing A Pigeon Sat on a Branch earlier this year I immediately declared my love for Roy Andersson. I knew I had to catch up with his other films pronto. So finally I arrive at my first stop: Songs from the Second … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Roy Andersson, Songs from the Second Floor
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Christine (1987)
The further I dig into Alan Clarke’s back catalogue the more often I find myself thinking “How the hell did he convince the BBC to broadcast this on national television?” Christine is similar in form to Clarke’s seminal Elephant in that it is built … Continue reading
The Firm (1989)
I’m relatively new to Alan Clarke but thanks to the BFI’s recent mammoth box-set I’ve been swiftly correcting that oversight. The Firm is the first one I delved into and it’s an intense affair all around. I’ve never really had much interest … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Alan Clarke, Gary Oldman, Lesley Manville, The Firm
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The Spectacular Now (2013)
I like the way The Spectacular Now holds itself. It’s a coming-of-age movie that confidently tries to be more adult and sophisticated than the genre usually allows for. The two leads, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, glow with youthful charm and their … Continue reading
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
On the surface this is just another 80s slasher movie but the texture is quite individual. It’s set in a small mining town in Canada. Director George Mihalka shot on location, in an actual mining town (and an actual mine) and cast … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged George Mihalka, My Bloody Valentine
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Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Out of the four Friday the 13th movies I’ve revisited recently, The Final Chapter might be the one that has fared best. Based on my recollections, I assumed Part 2 was the best of the first batch but, actually no, this is the strongest entry so … Continue reading
Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)
Friday the 13th Part 3 is known to most as “the one with the hockey mask”. It was also originally presented in 3D. Back in the day, this was my favourite of the original three movies, I’m not sure how I … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged Friday the 13th Part 3, Steve Miner
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Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
I always have fonder memories of Friday the 13th Part 2 than I do of the original. It feels like this is where the series begins good and proper. It’s the first one to feature Jason as the killer and is also … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged Amy Steele, Friday the 13th Part 2, Steve Miner
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Blood Bath (1966)
Big fan of Jack Hill so jumped right into this. The funny thing about Blood Bath is how labyrinthine it’s production history is. There are at least four different cuts of this thing with completely different plots, scenes and characters. I decided … Continue reading
Posted in Arrow Films, Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Blood Bath, Jack Hill, Roger Corman
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"This Film Should Be Played Loud" 