Author: BRWC

Electric Slide – Review

Loosely based on a true story, Electric Slide tells the story of Eddie Dodson (Jim Sturgess), an in-debt furniture salesman and ladies-man in 80’s Los Angeles who, in an effort to keep both the bank and a ruthless mobster (Christopher Lambert) off his back, starts robbing banks. With the involvement of Pauline (Isabel Lucas), the Bonnie to his Clyde, they go on a thrill spree, but as bank after bank falls, the police begin to close in.

A huge theme at play here is the mocking of the American Dream, the greed and denial that fuels it, how this rots any substance from life. This is well, well trodden ground but Director Tristan Patterson brings enough style and flair to his direction that it doesn’t dampen the films enjoyability.

Patterson has successfully crafter a super stylish crime film, tres chic and 80’s to the hilt. From the costume to the soundtrack, everything screams the period, not so much transporting you to the period as water boarding you with it, and it’s irresistible. The soundtrack is sensational, offering a taster of some of the best Post-Punk and New Wave like Iggy Pop, The Psychedelic Furs and X, as well as a blasting synth theme.

While there is ample support with the likes of Lambert, Chole Sevingy and Patricia Arquette pulling their weight, and star Lucas does admirably well, considering she has so little to play with as far as development, Sturgess is the absolute backbone. He adds another string to his acting bow, bringing his feminine, half-mumbled Dodson to life, both infuriating and charming, he’s always mesmerising. Though he may not pull off a classic performance, he pulls out a memorable character.

All of this isn’t to say there aren’t problems. Despite the design flair and splashes of humour on offer, the plot draws the short straw, leaving reasons to sympathise with Dodson and Pauline feeling superficial and half-drawn. It also falls onto character cliché and archetype too quickly, as is the case with Lambert’s character, or just not enough development, as with Lucas’. It could be argued that the superficiality is intentional, that it is all a part of the dissection of the 80’s, capitalist lifestyle, but only Patterson’s future films will confirm or dispel that.

All that can be said with certainty is that Electric Slide is an achievement of style winning out over substance in the memory, the look, sound and Sturgess far outlasting the characters or plot.

25th March 2015
Review: Doc Of The Dead

This initially promising, if unexceptional, zombie doc loses the plot by its conclusion, once it veers away from the films that sparked the zombie craze and gets bogged down in the cultural ephemera that have sprung up around them.

Borrowing its titular structure from George Romero’s seminal ‘X of the Dead’ films betrays filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe’s obsession with the godfather of the zombie genre, and much of Doc of the Dead’s early minutes are devoted to studying Romero’s early works. This discussion of Romero’s inspirations and subsequent influence yield the most interest that the film offers, in what looks to be a detailed inspection of the pivotal works of zombie fiction. Instead, unfortunately, once Romero is dealt with, the subsequent decades of zombie movies fly by, with scant references to undisputed classics, and any real discussion of seminal works like The Evil Dead or 28 Days Later dismissed based on technicalities of whether their monsters should really count as zombies or not.

Work in other mediums is delved into briefly, with a focus on the recent and popular The Walking Dead TV show – though less attention is devoted to its original comic book form. Video games really get the short shrift here, with classic ‘90s titles like Resident Evil and House of the Dead given throwaway mention, while 2012’s critically acclaimed game adaptation of The Walking Dead (yup, that again) doesn’t even warrant a namedrop.

The film’s latter half is devoted to a rather uninspired discussion of modern zombie fandom, from costumes & merchandise to zombie walks and porn parodies. A sex therapist pops up every now and then to talk about the appeal of zombie sex for no obvious reason, while later Philippe drinks his own urine through a survivalist’s water filtration system, in what must somehow have seemed like a good idea at the time, and surely made the final cut purely so that he didn’t end up drinking his own piss for no reason.

At one point, Romero confesses his own confusion: “What is it that appeals to zombie fans?” Other creators admit bemusement at the notion of the ‘zombie fan’ and the many costumed events that have sprung up over the last few years. Unfortunately, Doc of the Dead does little to convince viewers that this fandom is interesting enough in its own right to warrant discussion above and beyond the pop culture that inspired it.

Special mention must also be given to the frequent skits and shorts that serve as interludes. These range from the embarrassingly unfunny to the downright offensive, especially one impressively homophobic segment at the end, and ultimately do little more than create the suspicion that the filmmakers are playing for time, trying to pad out the brisk 81-minute running time.

It’s not all bad though – the talking heads are routinely entertaining, from Romero himself and makeup artist Tom Savini through to stars like Simon Pegg and Bruce Campbell. A passionate argument over fast and slow zombies brings a lot of fun, and a brief look at the Haitian history of zombie mythology is perhaps most likely to bring new insight to most viewers. Unfortunately, too much of the film remains slow, dull and unnecessary. Neither psychologically compelling enough to serve as an analysis of zombie fandom, nor comprehensive enough in its pop culture selection to serve as a full history of the genre, Doc of the Dead feels stuck halfway, unsure of its own subject matter and ultimately disappointing in two directions at once.

23rd March 2015
The Academy Awards 2015 (Review)

The Academy Awards.

It is hard not to talk about the Oscars without ruffling the feathers of people around the globe.

Some love it, others think it is an overlong pageant of indulgent self-importance and most couldn’t care less about it (I guess you can already tell which camp I’m in). So, was the Academy of Motion Picture and Science’s annual snooze fest worth the hype? There will be a full list of winners at the end of this article.

The first Academy Awards took place in 1929 and lasted about 15 minutes. I, like many who laboured through the plodding ceremony this year, longed for the same briskness exhibited all those decades ago. It began as it always does, the same tired questions shouted on the red carpet. I had the added pleasure this year of enjoying the build up in Germany, so it was humorous to watch the interviewees desperately try to make what they’re saying relevant. Michael Keaton offered up that he’d once been to the Oktoberfest in Munich whilst later on, a bemused Ethan Hawke stood by and listened to a conversation between German director Wim Wenders, waiting for an English question to be thrown his way.

Then the ceremony proper began. Neil Patrick – Harris ascended from beneath the stage and burst swiftly into a high paced musical number about falling in love with the moving picture once again, much more innocuous than Seth MacFarlane’s misogynistic We Saw Your Boobs song. He was joined by Anna Kendrick and “interrupted” by Jack Black, who sang that Hollywood is now full of executives “pitching tents for tent-poles and chasing Chinese bucks.” It was a convincing opening that had precisely what the Oscars have been lacking recently, self-awareness. It’s a shame that this same energy couldn’t be maintained. Patrick – Harris proceeded merrily with his monologue, with few jokes hitting (a particular one about Oprah representing American Sniper’s box office haul was chuckle worthy). He then introduced a running gag that was painful to say the least: locked in a suitcase, on the side of the stage, he had written down his Oscar predictions. He asked Octavia Spencer to keep an eye on it for him to make sure nobody tampers with it whilst he bounded centre-stage to get on with entertaining the some billion people who had tuned it to see the awards. Patrick – Harris also wandered amongst the audience with more jokes that fell flat, one about seat fillers and another forcing David Oyelowo (whose name Patrick – Harris continually struggled to pronounce correctly) to read a lame joke were among the nail on chalkboard and toe curling gags inflicted on the audience. A skit of Birdman’s famous Times Square sequence nearly put Patrick – Harris back on track but it turned out to be a rare moment in an otherwise forgettable stint as host. Oh, don’t forget the locked suitcase, guys! That’ll be really important! Promise…

Elsewhere, things went a little off-piste too. Current Academy president, Cheryl Boone, gave a lecture that dragged for what felt like half an hour about how wonderfully diverse a range of films The Academy Awards recognise, rather misjudged considering the white washed acting categories. Presenters flubbed their lines and John Travolta finally managed to say Idina Menzel’s name correctly, whilst creepily stroking her face. There was an endless tribute to Sound of Music, in which Lady Gaga belted out the film’s tunes. Musical performances were largely devoid of any interest apart from the Lego Movie’s out of tune “Everything is Awesome,” which featured a brilliant cameo from Will Arnett as Batman and John Legend & Common’s fantastic rendition of Selma’s “Glory.” That got a thoroughly deserved standing ovation and had many of the audience in tears. Acceptance speeches made by Julianne Moore, J. K. Simmons, Patricia Arquette, The Imitation Game’s Graham Moore and John Legend and Common are worth watching later.

So turning to the awards themselves, then. The acting awards went precisely where they were expected to, Redmayne, Moore, Simmons and Arquette. The Grand Budapest Hotel hovered up all of the artistic technical awards like production and costume design as predicted. Perhaps the biggest shock of the evening, though, was Boyhood losing out in the Best Picture and Director race to Birdman. Fear not, though, fans of Boyhood. Just because it didn’t win, it doesn’t mean that every DCP/35mm print and DVD/Blu Ray copy of it must be destroyed. It’ll still be a great film. The same goes for most of the film’s that lost out this evening. Don’t worry. It’s only the Oscars. Great films survive not because they win Oscars! The overused example of this is Citizen Kane losing to How Green Was My Valley?

As promised, here’s a list of The Academy Awards winners:

Best Picture: Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

Best Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Supporting Actor: J. K. Simmons, Whiplash

Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Original Screenplay: Birdman or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

Adapted Screenplay: The Imitation Game

Animated Feature: Big Hero 6

Documentary Feature: CitizenFour

Foreign Language Film: Ida

Editing: Whiplash

Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezski, Birdman…

Visual Effects: Interstellar

Original Score: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Original Song: Selma

Production Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Costume Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Make Up and Hair Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Sound Editing: American Sniper

Sound Mixing: Whiplash

Best Live-Action Short: The Phone Call

Best Documentary Short: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Best Animated Short: Feast

Oh, I nearly forgot, Neil Patrick – Harris’ suitcase! Yeah, it really wasn’t worth the set up!

23rd February 2015
Hinterland: Harry Macqueen Q&A

Hinterland is the debut feature by Harry Macqueen, which tells the story of an old friendship rekindled during a road trip around the English coast. BRWC spoke to Harry Macqueen about the film’s success so far and how he found his experience starring and directing in this beautifully shot debut.

Can you give me an overview of what this film is about?

On one level it’s a love story and another it is a road trip story of sorts. The film is set over one chilly February weekend and it is about two old friends escaping and going back in time on a trip of nostalgia. There is a focus on the unsaid in the context of two twenty-somethings who are both for different reasons looking for some sort of direction in their lives. On a deeper base note level it’s a film that I hope resonates with people my age, people who are growing up and in their twenties and are trying to ask questions about what they’re doing and why they’re here.

You mentioned the unsaid. How important was that for you in the film?

Hugely. I think we strove right at the start to make a film with as natural and organic a relationship as we possibly could. If you’re seeking the truth in a relationship or in life, it is important to focus on the things that aren’t said because more often than not, what is really at the heart of the matter isn’t what comes from your mouth; it’s how you’re saying them, it’s how you’re not saying them, it’s the pauses between the sentences, the body language. It’s the pursuit of the truth in the unsaid.

Did you get inspiration from your own life for this film?

I think everything that you make or write is in some way autobiographical. But the story itself isn’t an autobiography at all other than the literal journey they go on is one that I know well and have done many times in my life. I think this film is more about exploring what life is. That comes from loads of different sources really, probably some that I don’t even know about now. So it is partly my experience, partly other people’s experience.

What is interesting is this is your first full-length feature. How did you find it both starring in and directing in a film?

It was the most difficult thing I have done without a shadow of a doubt. I’d never even made a short film before; this is completely my debut in terms of writing in directing. I’ve had a lot of experience as an actor. It was definitely an exercise in wearing a lot of different hats and being aware that what I would have to do was focus much more on the stuff that I hadn’t done before, the directing, the producing side of it, and just rely on the fact that I thought I could pull it off as a performer. So being able to be totally committed and in the moment while the camera was rolling, but then to very quickly switch hats and go into director mode was majorly intense.

But it’s worked. You’ve had some amazing reviews so far. Hinterland been nominated for Best UK Feature at Raindance. Did you expect that?

It’s a difficult question to answer because having genuinely never done it before, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew that it was a film that I absolutely adored so I think I would have been disappointed if it hadn’t gone that way. But I don’t think you can really expect such a great reaction on a first attempt so that was great.

I understand you inherited the money to make this film. Did it take long to get the ball rolling? Was best online casino it an immediate reaction?

No not at all. I’d inherited the money years before and just not done anything with it. To be honest I’d been acting on and off for around seven years and had been completely focused on that. And then, I suppose it came about because I was aware that I wanted to take back a bit of creative control over my career as well as being a full-time actor too. I really wanted to make something creative and important with the money, which would have hopefully made the person who gave it to me happy with the way I spent it.

So you mentioned your background was in acting; what other acting work have you been involved in before Hinterland?

I went to Central School of Speech and Drama in London and almost straight after graduating I got a small part in a Richard Linklater film called Me and Orson Welles so that was amazing, a complete whirlwind. Since then I’ve had a few little parts in Eastenders, loads of theatre and I’ve just done something for TV in America. So I’ve been in a lot of things. I still very much consider myself an actor.

Going back to the film, how was it working with Lori Campbell as Lola?

It was one of the most remarkable things about the whole film because I didn’t know Lori before at all and one of the main pieces of feedback has been people asking whether we were going out or mates beforehand. The reality is that we met by chance and I’d already written the film. The specifics of that character seemed like an impossible task. I happened to be living with my friend who knew Lori and when I described the character to her, she said that the character of Lola is a lot like Lori. Lori is not an actor, she’s a musician, so she brings a whole different performance. It was a big challenge for both of us, me as a director and her as an actor. We lived together beforehand so we could bond and we became really close friends. So it was a really remarkable and rewarding experience because we were finding out a lot about each other as people as well as learning about the characters. It was like a whole journey of vulnerable collaboration for all of us.

The actual film itself, it comes out on the 27^th of February.

Yes it comes out then and it’s having a multi-platform release so we come out at Curzon Soho for a week and it is going on demand on the Curzon channel on the same day, so I’m doing a Q&A on 27^th February. Then I go around the country doing a Q&A tour at one-off screenings. The film will then go out on a video online platform and maybe DVD.

Ideally what do you want the viewers to take away from this film when they see it?

What matters to me is that people care about the characters and engage with them on that level. I think it’s a film that either completely resonates with you and your experiences or it doesn’t at all. I can’t be the judge of whether it does or not but it’s a lovely little window into two people and a fragile friendship that might be a love. So as long as it resonates with people and they care about the characters then that for me means that we’ve done our job properly.

Are there any other aspects of the film that you would like to mention?

Well it would be good to mention that the film is carbon neutral, which is something I would like to get behind. So with the film we offset all of the carbon so it’s not got a carbon footprint, which I’m proud of. I don’t know how common this is; I’ve heard that we’re the first UK carbon neutral feature film. I think it’s something that is on people’s minds. When you’re doing a project this small, it’s not that difficult to do. I think if you can do it, why not? It feels like the right kind of project for that.

Lastly, do you have any upcoming projects that you are planning at the moment?

I am very much still in the middle of doing this project but I am writing another film and I have been writing a play for a few years so I am looking to finish that. I’m also trying to finish filming a comedy pilot that me and four other friends have written, directed and shot so we’re trying to get that off the ground for TV. And a bit of acting coming up so just trying to keep busy.

Hinterland is released in UK cinemas on 27th February 2015 with Soda Pictures.

16th February 2015
That Time Of The Month: A Review

That Time of the Month is a ten-minute comedy short directed by Gareth Wyn Davies, offering an unusual spin on a doomed date night.

The film opens with couple Tim and Catlin, on what appears to be the most awkward date ever recorded. As the night goes on and Catlin’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, Tim is introduced to a side of his girlfriend he never thought possible.

While some women may find the innuendo on a woman’s monthly visitor a little bit offensive, overall this short is just a comedic twist on a classic horror plot. There are some funny one-liners too, particularly as Catlin introduces more of her dark side and recommends to Tim “don’t touch my steak. At all.”

Without giving too much of the twist away, the film ends on Tim necking the wine as he realises just what he has got himself in for. This short is a cute and funny insight into dysfunctional and ultimately doomed relationship. Perfect for viewers who did not find themselves in the Valentine’s spirit.

Check it out:

16th February 2015