Through his often crazed screen presence, Nic Cage has become a strange pop cultural icon and his films have almost become a subgenre unto themselves. His kooky charisma is given full licence to go into hyperdrive as he plays none other than Count Dracula in the slightly bonkers action/ horror comedy Renfield. Despite the imposing presence of Mr Cage, the
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Most people can relate to going on a road trip. Packing the car, preparing the snacks, checking the route, lining up the music. The destination is often exciting or meaningful in some way. It may be the promise of catching up with friends, time spent with family, or the prospect of fun times, freedom and adventure. Bayside resident, writer and
Read moreExactly what writer/ director Damien Chazelle was trying to say with his latest film, Babylon, a wild sprawling, occasionally funny, often ridiculous, exhaustingly manic, yet emotionally hollow homage/satire/savaging of early Hollywood is not entirely clear. It’s as if he’s poured all his memories of film making and watching into a blender, mixed them with lurid fantasies of Hollywood’s debauched underbelly
Read moreThe first salvo in the Christmas movie wars for 2022, Violent Night unusually combines raunch comedy, hostage drama, violent (sometimes gory) action and the old redemption through the magic of Christmas fantasy. It’s a strange combo that recalls Die hard, Home Alone, Bad Santa and weirdly enough the skull-crunching Viking film The Norseman. David Harbour stars as a genuine Santa
Read moreWhile it’s filled with vivid, inventive images and while it touches on important themes such as family conflict, same sex relationships and environmental preservation, the Disney animated fantasy, Strange World isn’t as engaging as it might have been. It seems as if the filmmakers weren’t sure if they wanted to create an old school sci fi adventure like Journey To
Read moreGonzo sci fi comedy/drama Something in the Dirt sits at the low-budget, DIY end of the movie making spectrum. This is both a blessing and a curse as the film has a raw, freewheeling energy but also feels unfocused and leaves us with the gnawing sense that the opportunity for a much more interesting film has been missed. This is,
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