Tag: Movies

In April 1980, armed gunmen infiltrate the Iranian Embassy in London. What followed would not only set the template for the British response to terrorist…

  One of the benefits of film festivals like NZIFF is that cinephiles have the opportunity to sample some very different fare from what is…

When a powerful play is adapted to incorporate some of the technical features possible with film, the end result can be transporting. A savvy director and crew will mine the dramatic work for opportunities to maneuver the camera in such a way as to take the audience out of their seats and place them in the middle of the action (just as one would with any other film genre). The playwright’s words should not be treated as a wall that defines the boundaries of the film, but as a door that opens into another medium of expression.

Confession: I didn’t expect to come out of Florian Habicht’s Spookers feeling as buoyant as I did. While the trailer for the film had utterly…

She Rises, which had its world premier at the Ireland Horrorthon Film Festival, is a mystery-comedy-horror hybrid of sorts, pulling some impressive, if ridiculously oddball,…

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with…

#DirectorsWeekend – #PedroAlmodovar – Friday August 11th – Sunday August 13h I’m not sure where to start with Pedro Almodóvar – in thought, in admiration, what…

In this edition of the Woo L.A. Podcast, Al Robinson and Robin Write are joined once again by Daniel Smith-Rowsey, and first-timer in these parts…

I like to make all your lives easier so thought I would break down my own Film Honors featuring the films of Tim Burton in…

#DirectorsWeekend – #TimBurton – Friday August 4th – Sunday August 6th Tim Burton is one of those directors to me where when I think of his…

#DirectorsWeekend – #TimBurton – Friday August 4th – Sunday August 6th As part of the Directors’ Weekend we’re promoting the opportunity to watch some of Tim…

The New Zealand International Film Festival has a history of providing cinephiles not only with brilliant new films but also bringing classics back to the…

#DirectorsWeekend – #TimBurton – Friday August 4th – Sunday August 6th The release of Tim Burton‘s Batman back in 1989 was a game-changer for many…

Here is where I get into trouble. My idea of Sci-Fi is that it’s fictionalized science (duh) that’s plausible, references existing innovation and research, and is somewhat rooted in reality, as we know it. It is not the same thing as fantasy. Films like Star Wars or Transformers are not science fiction; they are fantasy. If you truly believe they are based upon science, you need to find a cool place to sit down and drink plenty of fluids until visions of Ewoks and Wookies leave you in peace.