By Chris Gallagher In 1978, Annie Hall won best picture at the 50th academy awards ceremony in Los Angeles. It beat the likes of Star Wars (1977), Julia (1977), The Turning Point (1977) and The Goodbye Girl (1977). As well as best picture, Woody Allen took home best director, Diane Keaton won best actress and Allen and Marshall Brickman took home the Oscar for best … Continue reading Annie Hall – More Than Just A Romantic Comedy
By Chris Gallagher As Michael Myers walks past a crying baby, kitchen knife in hand, briefly looking into its cradle, a wry smile crosses my face. The Halloween reboot has made Michael Myers a genuine force of nature once again. As he saunters through Haddonfield, randomly and brutally murdering, it’s clear that this is the Michael Myers of the original film and not the subsequent … Continue reading Halloween (2018) – A Film About Trauma
By Chris Gallagher Social realism is one of the defining characteristics of British Cinema but what is it and how do we classify it? A focus on the everyday gives the audience an experience in the authentic and shows the world and society for what it truly is. It’s a gritty representation of the world using techniques developed by the early British documentary movement. A … Continue reading Social Realism and the ‘British New Wave’
By Chris Gallagher Wong Kar-Wai is a visionary in the world of film. A filmmaker that continues to question boundaries of style and narrative, his films are a visceral experience with each frame filled with colour and texture. Wong Kar-Wai is one of a few Chinese directors that have received International acclaim but whereas John Woo is known for his high-octane action films, Wong falls … Continue reading The Cinema of Wong Kar-Wai
By Chris Gallagher I’ve always been a fan of American cinema. It’s kind of hard to escape the clutches of the Hollywood machine. The capitalist juggernaut that cynically uses film as a commodity to make money. From Transformers to whatever turd of a film Adam Sandler is making, Hollywood sucks the art out of film to make an hour-long product placement, targeting kids like the … Continue reading The Hollywood Renaissance – MASH
By Chris Gallagher In the great tradition of American Independent Cinema, BUZZARD comes bursting onto the screen as a postmodern nod to the great ‘Indiewood’ classics of the past. We follow Marty, a slacker with a keen interest in horror, as he goes to every length possible to avoid doing work of any sort…..EVER. Marty is a character that would fit into any number of ‘Slacker’ movies from … Continue reading BUZZARD (2014) – Review
By Chris Gallagher Hollywood cinema has continually portrayed masculinity as dominant, with women being relegated to the role of spectacle. The male gaze has cast a shadow over women in Hollywood, a shadow that continues to this day. How has the role of women changed in Hollywood and how have they been represented in recent times? Women in a Time of Greed The 1980s saw … Continue reading A Woman’s Role in Contemporary Hollywood
By Chris Gallagher Independent Filmmaker Scott Crawford is the man behind one of the most interesting documentaries of 2014, SALAD DAYS: A DECADE OF PUNK IN WASHINGTON, DC (1980-90). Salad Days is a film that examines the early DIY punk scene in Washington DC, exploring the musical and cultural legacy that it forged. A host of interesting contributors allows the audience to get a full … Continue reading Salad Days – An Interview With Director Scott Crawford
By Chris Gallagher Writer/Director Bradley King is the man behind one of the most interesting Sci Fi movies of 2014, TIME LAPSE. Bradley self-funded, wrote and directed Time Lapse, which was his first foray into the world of feature film. It was co-written with writer/producer B.P. Cooper and it went on to play in 75 film festivals around the world. In what is a truly unique take … Continue reading Time Lapse – An Interview With Director Bradley King
By Chris Gallagher Slapstick and physical humour is sometimes seen as lowbrow in certain circles. In fact this style of comedy is layered and intelligent. It is a form that transfers very well into the realm of film. In the early days of comedy two of the big name players on the big screen were Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, both hugely influential characters. The physical panache of … Continue reading The Evolution of Slapstick – Dumb and Dumber
