Author: johnjones

Film & TV

Wales International Documentary Film Festival 2019 is ready for action!

“A few years ago a bunch of friends sat in a bar and discussed the possibility of screening some films from around in the world in Wales. A few of us had been fortunate to attend film festivals around the world, in Amsterdam, in Berlin, but also in Prizren and Jihlava – smaller places, difficult to reach but with a special atmosphere that was hard … Continue reading Wales International Documentary Film Festival 2019 is ready for action!

johnjones
Film & TV

Here’s to the Mockumentary

Film and TV co-editor John Jones pays tribute to one of comedy’s most unique, resilient and undervalued formats. Today, comedy as we have known it is under threat. ItÔÇÖs clear where contemporary audience demand lies; listings are dominated by gritty crime dramas, innovative sci-fi thrillers and tawdry reality shows that pander to the lowest common denominator. Within the genre itself, the cult classics of the … Continue reading Here’s to the Mockumentary

johnjones
Film & TV

Has Hollywood learnt its lessons?

The #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo movements certainly helped to bring Hollywood’s failings to light, but, with this year’s awards season under way, Yasmin Begum asks, has anything actually changed? In 2015, writer and activist April Reign coined the term #OscarsSoWhite with a tweet reading ÔÇ£#OscarsSoWhite, they asked to touch my hairÔÇØ causing the tweet to go viral. ItÔÇÖs still popular, but three years on, to what … Continue reading Has Hollywood learnt its lessons?

johnjones
Film & TV

Independent Minds

Why are more young former franchise stars turning to indie projects? Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Chloe Grace Moretz are three of our generationÔÇÖs most iconic teenage actors, and their success has only continued to grow since they first achieved their breakthrough in Hollywood. But, thatÔÇÖs not all they have in common, as they have all had a marked presence on the indie scene in … Continue reading Independent Minds

johnjones
Film & TV

Review: The Umbrella Academy

Since its release last week, Steve Blackman and Jeremy Slater’s Netflix series has intrigued audiences with its quirky characters and compelling storyline. The Umbrella Academy is a truly addictive show that draws the viewer in with its constant cliff-hanger moments. Based upon the comic book series of the same name ÔÇô co-created by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way ÔÇô the series focuses upon seven … Continue reading Review: The Umbrella Academy

johnjones
Film & TV

Cymru Mewn Ffilm

With St. David’s Day on the horizon, Quench celebrates the films that perfectly capture the fascinating history, vibrant culture and unique spirit of Wales. ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á ┬á┬á Hedd Wyn by Anna Whitfield Paul TurnerÔÇÖs 1992 film Hedd … Continue reading Cymru Mewn Ffilm

johnjones
Film & TV

Review: Mary Queen of Scots

By Isobel Roach In August 2018, pictures of Margot Robbie circled the internet ÔÇô these werenÔÇÖt glammed-up red carpet snaps, but rather a few paparazzi sneak shots taken on the set of the actorÔÇÖs first foray into the period drama: Mary Queen of Scots. Complete with a prosthetic nose, smallpox-scarred skin and a glaringly white powdered face, it was clear that RobbieÔÇÖs rendition of Queen … Continue reading Review: Mary Queen of Scots

johnjones
Film & TV

Our Films of 2018

2018 has been a majorly important year in cinema, with spine-tingling horror, stunning Afrofuturism and sequels galore all gracing the big screen over the past 12 months. With such a bounty of potential candidates, therefore, our Quench contributors are faced with an incredibly tough job in deciding upon their ‘film of the year’. Caleb Carter┬áon┬áFirst Reformed Paul Schrader is obsessed with martyrs. Since the birth … Continue reading Our Films of 2018

johnjones
Film & TV

Human Dignity: The Cost of Art?

By Sara Abidi An Italian director and screenwriter, the late Bernardo Bertolucci is credited with several works that achieved remarkable critical acclaim. His work in The Last Emperor earned him the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Eventually, he was presented with the inaugural Honorary Palme d’Or Award at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. … Continue reading Human Dignity: The Cost of Art?

johnjones
Film & TV

Is the Saturday night slot still relevant?

By Abi Dudbridge The notorious battle of the ratings takes place on our screens every Saturday night, as competitors such as ITV and BBC fight for audiences in the most prestigious slot in the TV weekly schedule. Saturday evening is a comfortable spot for the well-established, well-loved programmes, such as The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. However, the way in which we enjoy television … Continue reading Is the Saturday night slot still relevant?

johnjones
Film & TV

Suspiria: A Retrospective

By Caleb Carter ÔÇ£Suzy, do you know anything about witches?ÔÇØ Luca GuadagninoÔÇÖs Suspiria ÔÇ£homageÔÇØ is around the corner and looks suitably skin-crawling, but it has a lot to live up to: its influential forefather is a masterpiece of sensory assault. Dario Argento released Suspiria in 1977, a Giallo horror with the logic of a fever-dream. Giallo refers to a specific brand of mystery-horror from the … Continue reading Suspiria: A Retrospective

johnjones
Film & TV

John Hughes and his teenage masterpieces: relevant beyond the Eighties?

Nine years on from the legendary filmmaker’s untimely passing, two Quench contributors consider whether his classic works, which focused largely on the trials and tribulations of adolescence, are still relevant for teenage audiences today: ÔÇ£You know, as long as IÔÇÖve known him, everything works for him: school, parents, futureÔÇØ – Ferris BuellerÔÇÖs Day Off From The Breakfast Club to Sixteen Candles, HughesÔÇÖ classic teenage ´¼ülms … Continue reading John Hughes and his teenage masterpieces: relevant beyond the Eighties?

johnjones
Film & TV

Our Favourite Biopics

Following the release of Bryan Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody this week, eight Quench contributors put forward their favourite biopics: Harry Dixon on Amadeus (1984) 193 years after his death, the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was presented on film. The precocious creative genius of his youth spurred on by his domineering father; the toil of his financial difficulties; the lewd, crude folly; the high-societies of the … Continue reading Our Favourite Biopics

johnjones
Film & TV

Reviews: A Star is Born

With Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut proving a smash hit in theatres across the globe, four┬áQuench┬ácontributors share their thoughts on┬áA Star is Born: Whilst remakes have become a recent growing trend in the film industry, few have garnered as much fervent attention as Bradley CooperÔÇÖs directorial debut: A Star is Born ÔÇô which is somewhat surprising, considering that CooperÔÇÖs adaptation is the fourth edition of the … Continue reading Reviews: A Star is Born

johnjones
Film & TV

Review: Say My Name @ Cardiff International Film Festival 2018

Say My Name is not just your regular, cookie-cutter romantic comedy. The independent production has been selected as one of the Welsh Film finalists in the 2018 Cardiff International Film Festival, and its script is written by none other than the host of The Guilty Feminist podcast, Deborah Frances-White. As a long-time listener of The Guilty Feminist, I was excited to experience Frances-White’s work across … Continue reading Review: Say My Name @ Cardiff International Film Festival 2018

johnjones
Film & TV

Review: Roma @ BFI LFF 2018

Alfonso Cuar├│n is a rarity. A director with barely a blemish on his filmography ÔÇô which now spans more than two decades. Having first leapt onto the scene seventeen years ago with the exceptional Y Tu Mam├í Tambi├®n, which also helped to launch the careers of Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, Cuar├│n now returns to his homeland with Roma – an immersive, poetic study … Continue reading Review: Roma @ BFI LFF 2018

johnjones
Film & TV

The Unstoppable Rise of Netflix Originals

Netflix is one of the most successful online streaming services out there, providing films and TV shows on demand for millions of people across the world. Although, initially, it exclusively operated as an online and postal DVD rental service, Netflix has since gone on to become one of the worldÔÇÖs largest original content producers in the form of its ÔÇÿNetflix OriginalsÔÇÖ. These are films of … Continue reading The Unstoppable Rise of Netflix Originals

johnjones