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Category Archives: Reviews
The Debussy Film (1965)
My second delve into Ken Russell’s BBC work. The Debussy Film is more formally adventurous than Elgar with its mixture of “film about Debussy” and “making of a film about Debussy”. If you’ve seen Michael Winterbottom’s A Cock and Bull Story (or Tristram Shandy in the US) you’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Ken Russell, Oliver Reed, The Debussy Film
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Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
When I used to watch the Friday the 13th movies on endless loops as a teenager, A New Beginning was always my least favourite. It’s the entry I would rather just didn’t exist. How can you make a Friday the 13th movie without Jason? When I … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
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Abigail’s Party (1977)
Abigail’s Party is really what gave Mike Leigh his name. For a long time, it was his defining work. It’s ironic then that the man himself actually hates this made-for-TV incarnation of his famous stage-play. Shot with multiple cameras on a … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Abigail's Party, Alison Steadman, mike leigh
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Mike Leigh’s Apocalypse: Naked (1993)
Naked was the first Mike Leigh movie I ever saw and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d never seen something so kitchen-sink be so stylised, heightened and doom-laden. David Thewlis’ performance is one of the greatest ever committed … Continue reading
Posted in Favourite Movies, Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged David Thewlis, Gina McKee, Katrin Cartlidge, Lesley Sharp, mike leigh, Naked, Peter Wight
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The Underdog: Deadpool (2016)
I resisted reviewing this the first time around because I had little to say other than “I had a damn good time”. Is this a guilty pleasure movie? Is it just an exercise in bad-taste gags and pointed digs at … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged Deadpool, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, ryan reynolds, Tim Miller, TJ Miller
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Road (1987)
Undoubtedly the talkiest Alan Clarke production I’ve encountered yet, Road is an adaptation of a successful stage-play by Jim Cartwright unfolding on a derelict street in Manchester during the 1980s. Clarke took the play out from the soundstage and into the real … Continue reading
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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"This Film Should Be Played Loud" 