British playwright Alan Bennett (The History Boys; The Lady in the Van) has been documenting and dramatising the British character and the country’s institutions for decades. His play Allelujah, which examined the health system and its impact on the vulnerable people within in it has now been turned into a film. While at times very affecting, occasionally grim, sometimes amusing,
Read moreAlmost no franchise is safe from a reboot and modern makeover, not even horror cult classic The Evil Dead. A film, that was a staple of 80’s teen sleepover parties, has seen two direct sequels (Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness) a 2013 remake and a TV series Ash vs Evil Dead. There have also apparently been several aborted
Read moreFor someone like myself who is absolutely mystified by the appeal of computer games, it’s easy to overlook their cultural and economic impact. They are massively popular and increasingly infiltrating other media with adaptations like TV series The Last Of Us lauded by critics. Computer games are also big business with returns on new releases rivalling and often exceeding those
Read moreThe surreal, dreamlike Polish animal adventure EO, which comes from veteran director Jerzy Skolimoski, is one of the most intriguing and affecting films of the year. While a donkey played a small supporting role in Banshees Of Inisherin, in this film, our four-legged friend takes his rightful place as the lead. Here, former circus performer Eo escapes the farm to
Read moreI avoided the first three instalments in the ultra-violent hitman saga, John Wick as a cursory glance suggested they were ludicrous, mind-numbingly repetitive action films with about as much depth and credibility as a Fast and Furious flick. I haven’t completely abandoned that view but on the basis of latest film, John Wick: Chapter 4, there sems to be a
Read moreMy experience of the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons is limited to playing it for about 20 minutes 40 years ago. Suffice to say I’m not an expert on its intricacies and can only vaguely suggest how much has been woven into the new cinema adaptation, Dungeons And Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. Whether or not the film has obsessive fidelity
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