Category: Film
All things film.
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Vale John Barry (1933 – 2011)
A spy walks into view, framed by the barrel of a gun. He is underscored by a distinctively familiar tune, a few bars of strings at first, foreshadowing something big. The spy swings and fires, and the screen is filled with red as the brass band kicks in. This is, of course, the opening to the James…
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Catfish
Real or fake? It doesn’t really matter, as the tale that unfolds is such an intriguing reminder of the dangers of living in the 21st century.
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Shaolin
Despite a brief renaissance in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Chinese film (and in particular, martial arts) has been strangely absent from Australian cinema screens over the last few years. Not since the world’s love affair with Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – which in turn led to wide releases of Hero and…
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Mad Bastards
While there have certainly been some big hits at the Australian box office over the last few years, it is difficult to translate the success of local produce to the international stage. It could be that the local focus of many Australian films may not appeal to international audiences, already inundated by the might of…
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Burlesque
It seems as though it is barely possible to release a pop record in the 21st century without also have a three-picture deal in the bag. Following in the footsteps of Britney Spears and Mandy Moore, former Mousketeer Christina Aguilera (or Xtina if you prefer) eyes Hollywood in Burlesque. Having already made her mark on…
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True Grit
Following the murder and robbery of her father at the hands of ranch-hand, practical and precocious 14-year-old Mattie Ross (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) vows that she will avenge his death. The local sheriff turns a blind eye to the dealing, and the murderer Tom Cheney (Josh Brolin, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) is on the run…
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The Fighter
David O. Russell has continually pushed the Hollywood conventions over his short but illustrious career. Although beginning his career with indie comedies Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster, it was with the controversial yet heavy-hitting and darkly comic Gulf War action film Three Kings (1999) that put the director on the map. Yet since his…
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The evolution of the western: Part 2 – The Man with No Name
In The Evolution of the Western – Part 1: The Last Gunslingers, we discussed the changing nature of the cowboy over the first half of the 20th century. From the earliest days of cinema through to John Ford’s The Searchers (1954), the gunslinger turned from hero of legend to “a figure of pathos, not tragedy”…
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The Green Hornet
In an interview with Total Film several years ago, legendary comic book creator Alan Moore said that “The main reason why comics can’t work as films is largely because everybody who is ultimately in control of the film industry is an accountant”. Those accountants have certainly been counting their receipts over the last few years,…
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Yogi Bear
Whether it is all some kind of marketing ploy or a genuine wave of nostalgia triggered by their sudden availability on DVD and retro-themed television channels, everything old is suddenly cool again. From the big-budget blockbusters of the Transformers films and the bafflingly successful Alvin and the Chipmunks films, through to the forthcoming revivals of…
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