Perversely given a wide cinema release earlier this year, Robert Eggers’ The Northman is a grim and spectacularly obtuse viking thriller. The masses failed to connect with it, which given Eggers’ atmospheric style and deep cultural immersion is not a surprise. For … Continue reading REVIEW: The Northman (2022)
It has long become clear that Marvel Studios’ specific brand of shared universe feature films really work under their own rules. Fans of the comic book-inspired franchise may have bristled when Martin Scorsese famously noted ‘that’s not cinema’, but to … Continue reading REVIEW: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Guillermo Del Toro uplifts a 1940s potboiler with outstanding visuals and a top-notch cast, but a sullen, overly worthy pace is ever-present to potentially derail it. Nightmare Alley is really good, but it is frustratingly close to great. Mysterious wanderer Stanton … Continue reading REVIEW: Nightmare Alley (2021)
I can only think of one instance where this has happened before. In 2003 Morgan Creek Productions signed up Paul Schrader to write and direct a prequel to William Friedkin’s classic horror film The Exorcist. Schrader completed his film, but while … Continue reading REVIEW: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Tom Clancy was a hugely successful author, combining military action and political intrigue in a long series of novels – mostly featuring protagonist Jack Ryan. Their popularity naturally led to Hollywood knocking on Clancy’s door; the first result was John … Continue reading REVIEW: Clear and Present Danger (1994)
In 1925 Alaska a diphtheria outbreak sends musher Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) and his dogs on a last-ditch mission to bring home an anti-serum. For 12 year-old lead dog Togo, it may be his final journey. The 1925 diphtheria outbreak … Continue reading REVIEW: Togo (2019)
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