Category: Film Focus

In absentia

You may or may not have noticed a conspicuous lack of blog entries since I took former film-master Ridley Scott to task for his dreadful Prometheus. There are a number of reasons (or excuses) for this. In the end, I…

Trophy strife

Andy Serkis' motion-capture performance in 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

Much has been made of a possible Oscar nomination for Andy Serkis’ astonishing performance(s) in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. If there has ever been the nagging question of whether or not it was his performance or the…

Ten for ’11

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

Any honest annual top ten list would have to stipulate that they are the foremost movies the writer was actually able to see. It is improbable, if not impossible, to attend every release in a given year. There are a…

Second wind

'Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig'

I found it nearly impossible to watch David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo without the spectre of Niels Adren Oplev’s adaptation prodding my expectations. Objectivity became even more strained as events inched ever closer to that scene. The…

Guns, guts and gadgetry

Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner in 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'

Brad Bird loves James Bond. This was evident in the Sean Connery-era 007 touches he infused into his Pixar hit The Incredibles. It is even more evident in the director’s recent Mission: Impossible episode (gone is the numerical increment, instead…

Rainespots: Bille August

Filmmaker Spotlight When most people think of Danish cinema, the controversial work of Lars von Trier usually comes to mind. August on the other hand has been making quietly powerful and personal cinema for years. Influenced by the early realist…

Son of 31 Nights, 31 Frights: Wrap-up

It’s been another fantastic Halloween month. I hope you enjoyed the daily selection of films chosen for this year’s fright film fest. Special thanks to guest blogger, Miguel Rodriguez, for his contributions. Below is a listing of all the films highlighted this year. Have a Happy Halloween… II!

Son of 31 Nights, 31 Frights: Halloween II

'Halloween II'

Nowhere near as good as the original but still manages to keep the same tension and dread, even as it amps up the creative carnage. Michael Myers stalks survivor Laurie Strode through the bizarrely dark and deserted Haddonfield Hospital where she seems to be the only patient.