They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and nowhere else is that more true than Hollywood. Be it through attempting to capitalise on another’s success (DC’s Justice League in answer to Marvel’s Avengers series) or just sheer bad luck (the incredibly specific ‘animated ant colony’ 1998 duo A Bug’s Life and Antz), […]
Austin Powers
Power and problems in parody
Almost since the dawn of celluloid, parody films have been an integral part of the cinema-going experience. It was over fifty years ago that the Carry On franchise was at the peak of its power, while more recent years have inflicted upon us the notorious Scary Movie series, and its similarly unfunny cousins Disaster Movie, […]
The worst of the worst: Spectre
One of the greatest film letdowns of 2015 has undoubtedly been Spectre, a film so riddled with plot-holes, cliches and nostalgic throwbacks to the 60s Bond films, that it makes the Austin Powers films look like cinematic masterpieces. While Sam Mendes could have taken the chance to create something genuinely innovative and interesting, making a […]