Just a couple of hours before the start of their UK tour supporting dodie on 13 March, I sat down to have a quick chat with KAWALA, an up-and-coming indie-pop band. Led by Jim Higson and Dan McCarthy, a duo that hails from North London, KAWALA’s newest releases are upbeat, summery, and will undoubtedly put […]
Star Wars
An interview with Chris Weitz, screenwriter of Rogue One and Cinderella
Chris Weitz is a name you may not have heard of, but it’s more than likely you’ve watched one of the profusion of films he’s helped bring to the silver screen. Most recently a screenwriter for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Disney’s live-action reimagining of Cinderella, Weitz has also served as the director […]
A universal approach? A look at cinematic universes
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a decade old this year, and Avengers: Infinity War looks to be the most complete example of the unique storytelling model which Marvel Studios have brought to cinema, bringing together characters, storylines and themes from 18 films into one massive orgy of colourful costumes and special effects. Whether you love […]
Best left unopened: J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield Mystery Box
I have a lot of conflicted feelings on the recently released The Cloverfield Paradox and while I could probably spend about five weeks just trying to break it apart, instead, I’m here to break down what I think is the biggest problem of the film; breaking open the mystery box that is the Cloverfield franchise. Before I get […]
The beast behind the Beauty: let’s talk about Disney’s dark side
I t can be hard growing up. Finding out that Santa isn’t real, or there’s no stork that delivers babies, or that the company that makes The Little Mermaid is a soulless corporation that cares about profit alone and has designs on world domination. If you’re a Marvel fan, you might have missed that last […]
Films to look out for this December
Star Wars: The Last Jedi I’m leading off with Star Wars because you’re expecting it and I want to get it out the way, giving me more time to talk about other films. Following the exciting if formulaic Force Awakens and the very uneven Rogue One, it’s the turn of director Rian Johnson (Looper and some […]
The most iconic films of the 1980s
The 1980s produced some of the most iconic and celebrated films of all time, with the increase in technology available for filmmakers seeing a rapid advance in the quality of films and the special effects used. It really isn’t a surprise that part of the fascination with Stranger Things, as the second season takes over […]
Is Star Wars becoming oversaturated?
For a decade, the world went through a phase where the only new Star Wars content was the animated Clone Wars series. No sign of any new feature films, not least an Episode VII. But in 2012 when Disney acquired Lucasfilm, ensuring they bought the distribution rights for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, a new agenda […]
The Commercialisation of Cinema- is Originality Dead?
If we consider all the films that have come out this year, it seems like whatever wins at the Oscars, studios know they can make a lot of money from something which is ultimately unoriginal. I know this accusation is thrown around really frequently- usually by bitter middle-aged people on the Internet complaining that their […]
A Tribute to Carrie Fisher
“While the place I’ve arrived at isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of heavenly, I could swear sometimes, if I’m quiet enough, I can hear the angels sing. Either that or I fucked up my medication”. Taken from her one woman show Wishful Drinking, this perfectly sums up the late, great Carrie Fisher and her attitudes towards […]