The barbarity of the Nazis comes into sharp focus in a botched attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the start of the second World War. The man at the helm is Oliver Hirschbiegel, who directed Downfall, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2005 Oscars. The centerpiece of 13 Minutes is a…
He promised he’d be back, and it’s good to report that Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to the Terminator franchise that made him a bona fide box office draw card looking little worse for wear. Thirty years ago James Cameron gave us an ambitious mix of sci-fi and action in the original Terminator movie about an…
When we first meet Ruben Guthrie (Patrick Brammall) in the film that bears his name, he’s hosting an extravagant bash in his swanky harbourside digs after winning an award for his work as an advertising creative. The evening ends with Ruben on the bottom of the pool, having thrown himself off the roof of the…
Having reformed with their original line-up back in 2013, Veruca Salt has returned with their new LP, Ghost Notes. This is the first record featuring Louise Post and Nina Gordon, since 1997’s Eight Arms to Hold You. For all review purposes, this record could be and probably should receive a shrug of the shoulders but…
Energy, heart, joy and fun are the ingredients of the latest circus to hit town. This year, more than any other in recent memory, has been the year of the circus, and we are only at the half-way point! Show after show has showcased (pardon the pun) feats of athleticism, dexterity, strength and endurance. Some…
Micachu & The Shapes’ return, three years after the release of their last record Never, is almost an accident: the trio of friends decided to rehearse in an East London studio, and found themselves immersed into an hours-long jam. Drummer Marc Pell had an Edirol field recorder in hand, and unbeknownst to his bandmates, recorded…
There is school spirit and then there is a school’s spirit. An horror story set in a US high school, The Gallows started life as a promotional trailer from a couple of newcomers. Twenty years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor during a play, students at the same small town institution…
If there’s something Travolta remained loyal to, then surely it’s his distinctive, sad look. Ever since I saw him the first time appearing in Saturday Night Fever (ages ago), he uses that sad expression. It always looks as if he’s going to burst out in tears. And the movie The Forger is substantively perfect for…
Based upon Gustave Flaubert’s literary classic and not to be confused with the recently released Gemma Bovery, this is the story of a young married woman desperate to escape the dullness of her provincial life. Madame Bovary is a straight drama, while Gemma Bovery was a comedic dramatic romantic reimagining, which drew inspiration from a…
I love a good psychological thriller so I was keen to get stuck into Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica (author of The Good Girl). Here’s the blurb: She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away….
