Possibly one of the most highly anticipated, highest grossing and most discussed films of 2015, Jurassic World was bound to leave a big impression on people one way or another. With an accomplished female lead (Bryce Dallas Howard), a capable velociraptor trainer (Chris Pratt), dinosaurs, dinosaurs, and did I mention dinosaurs, Jurassic World seems like an infallible formula. Indeed if you are looking for a … Continue reading Review: Jurassic World
From the toxic influences of Blake Fielder and the drugs he introduced to the intrusion of the hounding media, Amy explores Amy Winehouse’s life forced into the public. Filmmaker Asif Kapadia brings us this documentary film following the success of Bafta award-winning Senna, another posthumous recollection of a life ended too soon. Amy is a poignant piece of filmmaking that makes us sit helpless and … Continue reading Review: Amy
Directed by Alex Ross Perry, an American director of a small number of lesser-known films, Listen Up Philip focuses on the young writer Philip Lewis Friedman from the point of publishing his first novel. Loosely based on the events of real life writer Philip Roth, the fictional Philip is selfish, egotistic, arrogant and at times harshly aggressive and denigrating towards those around him. Narrated by … Continue reading Review: Listen Up Philip
ItÔÇÖs enough to make you cry angsty teen tears over your lack of life achievement. At the age of just 23, Charlie Lyne is editor of UK film blog Ultra Culture, home entertainment columnist for The Guardian and a contributor for the BBCÔÇÖs The Film Programme. Last year saw the release of his debut film Beyond Clueless, a film documenting every teen movie hit and … Continue reading Interview: Charlie Lyne – Beyond Clueless
Chapter Arts Centre is Cardiff’s local hub for all things culture, so when we got the chance to attend an exclusive BAFTA screening of Welsh Films showing at Sundance Film Festival, we eagerly donned our berets and headed down to Canton for an evening of high-brow entertainment. Jordan Watkins reviews the event.┬á To celebrate Welsh representation at the Sundance Film Festival Chapter Arts hosted a … Continue reading The Next Chapter – BAFTA Presents: Wales at Sundance
With subscription services and online catch-up TV more popular than ever before, Emily Jones explores whether the BBC’s license fee is still earning its keep. From its creation in 1922 to the present day, the BBC has long been a pivotal part of British culture; something we have loved, cherished and celebrated as the heart of British television. While things have not always been smooth … Continue reading In Defence of the License Fee
There are three things you want from a cinema: Good location Comfy seating The newest release schedule Fortunately for all who reside in Cardiff, Cineworld (www.cineworld.co.uk) has it all. Cineworld had invited us down to review the place over the weekend, and to see what it had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised with how friendly the staff was, especially for a late showing, the … Continue reading Review: Cineworld Cardiff
Win a trip to the cinema with Cineworld Cardiff On the 16th February 2015, Cineworld (http://www.cineworld.com) introduced a new offer, allowing the students of Cardiff to┬áenjoy the hottest, blockbuster movies on the big screen for just ┬ú4 – at any time! Cineworld Cardiff is a 15 screen cinema showing the latest in Hollywood releases, including the new┬áintense cyber-crime thriller, Blackhat, making for a great entertainment … Continue reading Competition: Win a cinema trip with Cineworld Cardiff
I really wanted to like this film. Having avidly consumed all three volumes of the series on my Kindle back in 2011 I went in with a reasonably detailed (and x-rated) idea of what to expect. Over the last few days, the campaign to boycott the film has gained a great deal of momentum and having read several articles that condemn Fifty Shades of Grey┬áfor … Continue reading 50 Shades of Grey – Pass me a blindfold..
From one of the broadest genres out there; we delve into what it is that makes a good comedy. As an aspiring journalist, weÔÇÖre taught at times to try and write from an impartial and unprejudiced standpoint. But not here, bias is necessary. I love comedies. To me, there is no other genre that is as complete, broad or as meticulously well-crafted as a comedy. … Continue reading Genre in Review: Comedy
Get in losers, weÔÇÖre going to analyse our generationÔÇÖs obsession with the teen movie. This crowd-funded film debut from film blogger Charlie Lyne is a cine-essay that charts the narrative arc of the American high school movie trope that has dominated pop culture for over 20 years. The documentary style allows Lyne to identify several stages in the development of the protagonist, from their original … Continue reading Beyond Clueless: why the teen movie is still as ‘fetch’ as ever
Inventive in its production; Richard Linklater’s Boyhood┬ádepicts the growth of a boy through his adolescence, the trials his family face and the hardship that is living life in its mundanity. Surprising in that this film was 12 years in the making; the prolonged shooting period had no repercussions in terms of quality and performance integrity. It’s no surprise this picture has secured nominations at the … Continue reading Review: Boyhood
Continuing Film & TVÔÇÖs exploration into narrative film genres; in this feature we tackle the most explosive of all, Action. It is easy to pin point this genre in the sea of films released: It starts with a grand opening; the panning across the open road or a plane shooting off into the distance that then cuts to the explosion of a title sequence. This … Continue reading Genre in Review: Action
Based on the best selling book by Cheryl Strayed; Wild┬átells the biographical tale of Strayed’s 1100 mile hike in repentance and reflection after the death of her mother and subsequent turmoil in which she fell. From director Jean-Marc Vall├®e (who directed Matthew┬áMcConaughey┬áand Jared Leto to Oscars in last year’s dramatic hit Dallas Buyers Cowboys) the imagery crafted here is powerful, thought provoking and on the … Continue reading Review: Wild
Nothing lasts forever. Throughout the calendar year, we see countless shows that fall under the axe of TV networks. If, like me, the debris of multiple mid-season finales over the last few months are still causing you to squeal and throw your fists in a sea of raging tantrums, then this can only be seen as a good thing for your favourite shows; it at … Continue reading Shows Cancelled Before Their Time
This was the last move in a great master plan: to dominate the box office, capture audienceÔÇÖs hearts and bring a mythical world to life. All three have been done, the former tenfold considering the end of 2014 grossing┬áfigures for the latest instalment into this epic middle-earth saga. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (here on in referred to as Five Armies) was … Continue reading Review: The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies
After recently receiving six nominations at this yearÔÇÖs┬áAcademy Awards; including┬áBest Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, American Sniper had already established a high calibre prior to its release. The film is a┬ábiographical┬áwar┬ádrama film┬ádirected by┬áClint Eastwood┬áand written by┬áJason Hall, which centres on the awe-inspiring and melancholic tale of navy SEAL Chris Kyle, a sniper who was accredited officially with 160 kills; the deadliest marksman in US military … Continue reading Review: American Sniper
ItÔÇÖs no secret that the giant cinema chains are expensive. Even so, it may shock you to find out that if you fancy buying a small bag of popcorn at Cineworld you will be paying 15 times the price it is actually worth. We happily sit through tons of adverts and put up with that one annoying viewer who insists on talking throughout only to … Continue reading The Next Chapter for Independent Cinema?
This film has a lot to live up to as the biopic of Stephen Hawking, one of the most remarkable physicists of all time, released in the wake of other well-anticipated films such as Interstellar and The Imitation Game. ┬áBased on the book, Travelling to Infinity; My life with Stephen written by Jane Wilde, HawkingÔÇÖs ex-wife, The Theory of Everything┬áis centred on the relationship between … Continue reading Film Review: The Theory of Everything
Brooding. Sparse. Disturbing. Foxcatcher makes for enthralling cinema with its unanimously strong performances, excellent cinematography and harrowing story. ┬áA story of sibling rivalry, isolation, class and mental illness, Foxcatcher is multifaceted and narratively rich for those who seek its rewards. Much like Bennett MillerÔÇÖs other films it manages to be about much more than its central subject would suggest. It is a wrestling film that … Continue reading Film Review: Foxcatcher
