Tag: cinema
Beam me up, Scotty: 10 Great Movie Engineers
Engineers past and present have far reaching influences on the world of today. From simple light bulbs to complex iPhones, contemporary society would be unrecognisable without the behind-the-scenes efforts of hardworking technical experts. Engineers in movies are either presented as living in the shadows of their mother’s basement or running headlong into danger hell-bent on…
Great beginnings: 40 impressive directorial feature film debuts
The key to 21st century communication is the blog. And, as every blogger knows, the key to the blog is the list. Nothing generates discussion faster than labelling something “The Ten Best…” or “The Twenty Most Overrated….”. After recently writing a piece on Ryan Coogler’s impressive debut film Fruitvale Station (for which Michael B. Jordan…
Understanding Coriolanus: The upside of obsession
When I decided to attend my local screening of the National Theatre Live production of Coriolanus (2014) I was expecting to see rows of empty seats. The audience for Kenneth Branagh’s Macbeth (2013) had been no more than a dozen people, and it is a far more appreciated play. This time, the theatre was packed.…
Land of the Little People: Controversial filmmaking in Israel
Imagine this scene: the skies are blue, the birds are singing, and four children are playing joyfully in the woods. Now imagine these children covered with two soldiers’ blood as their own private war rages in the woods while a “real” war rages in the outside world. Welcome to Land of the Little People, an…
Nymphomaniac: A one night stand with Lars von Trier
Despite the accolades he’s amassed over the course of his career, Lars von Trier in 2014 is more commonly a topic of discussion than a receptor of praise. Following the release of 1996’s Breaking the Waves, he was hotly tipped to be the next great European auteur, especially in light of the bold Dogme 95…