Blue Velvet

Posted in Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery on September 29, 2016 by Mark Walker


Director: David Lynch.
Screenplay: David Lynch.
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell, George Dickerson, Hope Lange, Brad Dourif, Jack Nance, Priscilla Pointer, Frances Bay, J. Michael Hunter, Fred Pickler, Ken Stovitz, Jack Harvey.

“I’ll send you a love letter straight from my heart, fucker”

The debacle of adapting Frank Herbert’s Dune in 1984, is now pretty much common knowledge among film enthusiasts. To put it plainly, it didn’t do well at the box office and was even tagged with the appellation ‘the Heaven’s Gate of science fiction films‘. So upset was David Lynch with studio interference and losing final cut of the film that he vowed never to work with a big budget again. He regrouped, however, and two years later he delivered one of his own original scripts in the form of Blue Velvet. Not only did it put him back on the map but it’s still widely regarded as one of the best films from the 1980’s.  Continue reading →

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The Conjuring 2

Posted in Horror with tags on September 8, 2016 by Mark Walker


Director: James Wan.
Screenplay: Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan, David Johnson.
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe, Frances O’Connor, Franke Potente, Simon McBurney, Lauren Esposito, Benjamin Haigh, Patrick McAuley, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon Delaney, Steve Coulter, Javier Botet, Bob Adrian, Bonnie Aarons.

“This is my house!”

Word on the Ouiji board had us believe that director James Wan was walking away from horror movies for good. He ventured into the Fast & Furious action franchise (with its 7th instalment) and stated his intention to leave the horror genre behind. However, his nostalgic frightener The Conjuring in 2013 was such a resounding success that Wan decided to return and take charge of its sequel. Often with sequels, they fail to deliver on the predecessor’s success but Wan still has a few tricks up his sleeve.  Continue reading →

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The Prestige

Posted in Drama, Mystery with tags on September 1, 2016 by Mark Walker


Director: Christopher Nolan.
Screenplay: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan.
Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Piper Perabo, Ricky Jay, Roger Rees, Jamie Harris, Samantha Mahurin, W. Morgan Sheppard, Daniel Davis, Edward Hibbert.

“Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because of course, you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be fooled”

Having delivered such strong films as Memento, Inception and Interstellar (outwith the hugely successful Dark Knight trilogy), it’s safe to say that director Christopher Nolan’s output is of a very high standard. Many may even claim that he’s yet to make a bad film and that his filmography is nothing but quality. For me, though, The Prestige is an exception to that and a major blip in an otherwise solid résumé.  Continue reading →

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Midnight Special

Posted in Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction with tags on August 30, 2016 by Mark Walker


Director: Jeff Nichols.
Screenplay: Jeff Nichols.
Starring: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard, Bill Camp, Scott Haze, Paul Sparks, David Jensen, Sean Bridgers, Kerry Cahill.

“Sometimes we are asked to do things that are beyond us”

After making his name with three independent films in Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter and Mud, director Jeff Nichols approaches his fourth feature with a bigger budget, making it his first studio production and allowing him to operate on a slightly more ambitious and grander scale. However, Nichols has a particular approach to storytelling and resists the urge to let the budget overshadow his intentions. Fans of his will be happy to hear that he continues his promise as a director with great depth and substance.  Continue reading →

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Polished Performances

Posted in Uncategorized on August 26, 2016 by Mark Walker

• Actor: Robert De Niro
• Character: Jake LaMotta
• Film: Raging Bull
Continue reading →

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Green Room

Posted in Crime, thriller with tags on August 24, 2016 by Mark Walker


Director: Jeremy Saulnier.
Screenplay: Jeremy Saulnier.
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Macon Blair, Joe Cole, Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, David W. Thompson, Mark Webber, Eric Edelstien, Michael Draper, Brent Werzner, Kai Lennox.

“You can’t keep us here, you gotta let us go”

After his little seen debut Murder Party in 2007, Jeremy Saulnier’s second film Blue Ruin took the film circuit by storm in 2013 and turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It was a taught and very well constructed low-budget thriller that reached many people’s list of favourites (myself included). As is always the case, though, it brought much anticipation for his third feature. And deservedly so. The pressure was always on but by sticking to a winning formula, Saulnier again delivers a film that has much to recommend it.  Continue reading →

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Lost Highway

Posted in Film-Noir, Horror, Mystery on August 16, 2016 by Mark Walker

Director: David Lynch.
Screenplay: David Lynch, Barry Gifford.
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Bill Pullman, Balthazar Getty, Robert Loggia, Robert Blake, Gary Busey, Richard Pryor, Jack Nance, Michael Massee, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Jack Kehler, Michael Shamus Wiles, Lucy Butler, Mink Stole, Greg Travis, Scott Coffey, Giovanni Ribisi, Henry Rollins, Marilyn Manson.

“l like to remember things my own way”

Whenever you approach a David Lynch film, you really have to be prepared for a surrealistic, mind-boggling challenge. His films rarely come as an easy pass to answers or entertainment and can even frustrate to the point of absolute bewilderment. Lost Highway is no different and ranks alongside Inland Empire as, probably, Lynch’s most difficult film to date.  Continue reading →

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