And I'm not talking about the weather! In the UK, we've been wrestling with the strain of working out what season we are supposed to be in, with snow, hail, sun, rain, wind, more sun, some rain - you get the picture. I can only hope that those of you across international waters have been more fortunate. Nevertheless, while barometers sweat, meteorologists ponder and ground hogs debate the benefits of surfacing when it's tipping it down, filmbore keeps it simple.
In April, we saw the tail end of the awards season on the site, while welcoming the darkness of the horror season straight after...no confusion, no fickleness. If only the skies could behave the same!
So, in a busy month you got the usual honest reviews on the lesser known cinema, an unusual Top 10 combining Easter and horror, and had to say goodbye to a legendary film journalist. Let's recap...
Capping off my awards awareness season was Michael Haneke's beautiful tale of love & dependance, Amour. Blitzing the awards, including taking the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, this endearing but brutal drama is unmissable for Haneke's deft attention to detail and astounding performances from Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva.
And so, to start my horror season...beginning with something with a little depth I looked at Peter Strickland abstract stab at the genre, Berberian Sound Studio. With some great references to giallo films and a real art-house approach to horror, this will both disturb and perplex you. Plus Toby Jones is on form, as usual.
Hitting a lighter note but staying in the "lair of scare" is horror comedy, Grabbers. Following the formulae of "alien visitors terrorise local town" it doesn't try and act like something it's not; expressing it's open humour, great jump moments and some special effects that look excellent for such a low budget. It's in danger of slipping under the radar, so do yourself a favour and rent this baby out.
The third film in my horror-fest, taking us to the halfway point, is controversial, new wave slasher, Switchblade Romance. This courageous, French chiller has received some serious flack over the years, unfortunately tainting the promotional edge it needs to get out there. Form your own view on this alternative horror by getting hold of a copy and dare to watch until its shocking finale.
A Top 10 with a twist (what else?!)
Missing out of publishing a top 10 on the Easter Bunny due to time constraints came as a blessing in disguise, as by blending the idea with my horror season gave birth to a bizarre list...the Top 10 scariest rabbits in cinema!
Missing out of publishing a top 10 on the Easter Bunny due to time constraints came as a blessing in disguise, as by blending the idea with my horror season gave birth to a bizarre list...the Top 10 scariest rabbits in cinema!
Fluffy tailed, soft-toe-thumping, cute hopping bunny wabbits...
...doused in blood, fang-tastically attacking our victims in gore soaked ambushes, nightmarish visions of the future or just flat out petrifying in a stew! Mwahhahhahh hhaaah haaahhh!
Never will you see such a disturbing, alarming and freaky collection of conies as this.
Never will you see such a disturbing, alarming and freaky collection of conies as this.
But if you think any have been missed out, then please comment at the bottom of the Top 10 blog post with your submissions, and I will consider them.
Few film critics have sparked more response to their views than the acid tongued, no-holds-barred of who I consider to be a lyricist in his own right.
Sometimes jarring public opinion with his honesty, Roger Ebert was never ashamed of flaunting his perspective on cinematic outputs big and small, and has become a renowned expert of his field. Many, like myself, attempt to emulate his poetic approach to reviewing but pale into insignificance when comparing to the great man, who we lost to cancer on the 4th April.
In this article, I summarise on the rise of one of the most famous film critics of all time, while reminding us why he was so loved/hated by including some of his brilliant comments on Hollywood's biggest films of the time.
From a fledgling critic to an epic one...I salute you Roger.
Roger Ebert (1942 - 2013) R.I.P.
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Or, you can email me directly at overview@filmbore.co.uk.
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