The last time Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu took to the big screen, he carried the awards season with him as his wildly inventive Birdman swept all before it. Now he’s back with a more subdued but just as intriguing film in The Revenant. Where Birdman was style and movement, The Revenant is stillness and contemplation. And…
It was October 2nd, 1950 when Charles M. Schulz introduced the characters of Charlie Brown, Shermy and Patty in just seven newspapers. That was the start of a 50-year journey for the cartoonist that forever changed the landscape of popular culture and humour. Schulz’s comic strip was hailed as one of the greatest of the…
The current grande dames of comedy, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, re-unite for Sisters, a comedy about taking things just that bit too far. Each of course had individual success on television (Fey on 30 Rock and Poehler on Parks and Recreation) but their movie output together has been sporadic (Mean Girls and Baby Mama…
R.L. Stine has been recognised as one of the bestselling children’s authors of all time with his Goosebumps books selling more than 400 million copies in 32 languages since it first went into print in 1992. This movie adaptation features dozens of Stine’s creations, with Jack Black as the famed writer. Initially though, the filmmakers…
With overtures of Tomorrow When the War Began and the love triangle in The Hunger Games, yet another dystopian film franchise kicks off, this time starring Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass). Earth has been invaded by what are termed The Others; aliens whose mother ship hovers menacingly over the United States. At first that is all…
A 16-year-old girl, Grace (Odessa Young), disappears; as do several thousand dollars. Her parents Denise and Dan (Radha Mitchell and Richard Roxburgh) are naturally worried and call authorities. The story unfolds gradually through the perspectives of the various players – the girl, her parents, a truckie etc. – until, we, the audience piece together just…
It is 2002 and this story is a game changer. It is when the Catholic Church was drawn into the world spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The film tells the astonishing true story of the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Spotlight” team of investigative journalists. They were the ones who exposed the church’s systematic cover-up…
Outside of the first two films in Edgar Wright’s so-called Cornetto Trilogy, Simon Pegg’s film career has probably seen more misses than hits. He recently redeemed his reputation with roles in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and the romantic comedy Man Up, although the latter’s success was due more to the superb chemistry he shared with…
A turgid, moody snore fest is in store for those who venture out to see Angelina Jolie’s second film as a writer and third as director (fourth if you count the documentary A Place in Time). She also happens to star in it (and produces it) alongside her husband Brad Pitt, but even two actors…
Performances worth of Academy Award nominations highlight a politically complex drama reminiscent of All the President’s Men. Foremost among them are Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, with Noni Hazlehurst also showing the way in a small but telling scene. Written and directed by James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man), who makes his directorial debut, Truth is…
