Features
The gripping TV series American Horror Story is taking over everyone’s televisions. Its story-lines have no boundaries, and each week we are shocked by what writer and producer, Ryan Murphy has in store for us. The show is very distinct since each series is (mostly) unrelated to the last, yet they do keep many of the stars of each season and recast them.
We don’t hear about the Tunisian cinema as often as we hear about the Moroccan or Iranian ones. We don’t have a major film festival like the Cairo International Film Festival or the Beirut International Film Festival, but we do have one important, symbolic one: the Carthage Film Festival.
In the “Fun Time VHS Bonanza!” series I will be visiting my local thrift shop and pick up the most obscure VHS tape possible. The article will then be a self-reflective essay about the nuances and feelings that I get from the film.
Villains, if written well, can be the most interesting types of characters of any story. They can drive plots forward, up the action and even provide some emotional tension. Villains, if written well, can be a lot more human than any hero.
It’s no surprise that the Oscars often get it wrong. The list of film legends who have never won an Academy Award is pretty damning on the Academy: from Stanley Kubrick, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchc*ck to Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.
“These men who bust their asses work like dogs. And I believe in them, but every day they hurt. They get old, they peel back…
Soundtracks are often not given enough credit in the film world, from us as critics and film lovers, but they have a stronger effect on the audience than you’d think. I have found that those pivotal goose bump moments occur when the music over the image is perfectly fitting; culturally and emotionally, allowing us to feel more involved with the movie. Since soundtracks aren’t often conversed I thought I would shine a light on the under-discussed element of which soundtracks really absorb you into the film and make you feel like you’re fighting alongside Jack Sparrow on the Black Pearl, or you’re beating up Edward Norton in Fight Club.
What is it about the fantasy genre that we find so fascinating? Is it the lure of escapism, the feeling of delight one finds being transported to the various textured habitats of places such as Middle Earth, Westeros, or Hogwarts? Or marvel over the depictions of fabled historical retellings that have taken on mythic qualities over the years?
Unless you have been living under a rock for the fortnight or so (or have no interest in the genre), you may have noticed that the first teaser for The Avengers: Age of Ultron has been released. As well as setting off a whirlwind of fan response and a more than considerable amount of excitement, it should be mentioned that it was a master-class in how to create a teaser trailer, or indeed any trailer.
Every year horror film enthusiasts unite to watch their favorite scary films. New movies come out around Halloween season, endlessly trying to be more graphic and push the shock factor a little further. But what is it about these films that keep us wanting more?
Film Noir stems back to the earlier days of Hollywood, starting with the Humphrey Bogart classic The Maltese Falcon in 1941. This film, the first from cinema great John Huston, established many of the trademarks we associate with the sub-genre today. The term Film Noir literally means “black film” and refers to how dark and shadowy the films tend to be.
Every time you look for new horror movies the same ten titles show up. The Shining, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Haunting, Psycho, Nightmare on Elm Street, Alien, Halloween, The Ring, and Night of the Living Dead. Not to say that these aren’t great films, they’re on the best lists for a reason; they’re classics!
Remake. The very word can send a shiver down a film fan’s spine. It’s just a further sign that Hollywood is no longer original, that they must pillage classics for ideas to recycle.
Something about Halloween just makes you want to be scared. It’s the one time of year when it feels truly fitting. And nowhere is that more easy to accomplish than with a horror movie.
It is easy to be a bit cynical about the state of modern commercial filmmaking. So many of today’s wide-released movies are either remakes of a remake of a remake or star a buff white dude fighting crime (usually in a cape or police uniform). With big studios investing so much money in the big movies we see today, they cannot afford to take huge risks.