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I wish more people understood this simple fact!
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The Americans
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Fantastic Fest ’11 – ‘Snowtown’ / ‘Bullhead’
Sordid Cinema PODCAST Rewind #29
Fantastic Fest is one of the biggest film festivals in the states. Held in Austin Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse, the event screens nothing but the best in genre films. We’ve been reporting from the festival since 2009, but for the first time on the Sound On Sight podcast, we’ve decided to dedicate a full show to the event and review two of the better films that screened this year. First is the unrelentingly grim and terrifying Snowtown, the directorial debut of Justin Kurzel. The second film we review is also a first time feature, by writer/director Michaël Roskam – Bullhead is a disturbingly visceral art-house drama and one the most original crime pics in recent memory. All this and more.
Sound on Sight Podcast #310: Australian Genre Cinema: ‘Wake In Fright’ and ‘Snowtown Murders’ with Director Justin Kurzel
Ricky D had the pleasure of interviewing the director and co-writer of Snowtown (or The Snowtown Murders, as it’s now known in North America), Justin Kurzel, who happened to mention that 1971′s Wake In Fright as a standout Australian cult movie – so we thought, why not finally take it on? Along with the interview and our review of Ted Kotcheff’s offbeat classic, take a listen back to our review from late last year of The Snowtown Murders.
Best Movie Moments of 2012 (part one)
I don’t’ share the popular opinion that 2012 has been a terrible year in film. It hasn’t been as strong as previous years but 2012 gave us such gems as Holy Motors, The Master, Berberian Sound Studio, Tabu, Skyfall and Moonrise Kingdom, to name a few. As with every year, I thought it appropriate to highlight some of the year’s most memorable individual moments, scenes, and sequences, from movies that may or may not have made our individual year-end lists. Which is no small feat considering just how insane the release calendar has become.
We are keeping out credit sequences since we feel it is an art form in itself.
Fantastic fest is underway -For those of you who can’t be here, check out this older podcast featuring reviews of two of the best films from last year’s event!
Sordid Cinema Podcast #29: Fantastic Fest ’11 – ‘Snowtown’ / ‘Bullhead’
Fantastic Fest is one of the biggest film festivals in the states. Held in Austin Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse, the event screens nothing but the best in genre films. We’ve been reporting from the festival since 2009, but for the first time on the Sound On Sight podcast, we’ve decided to dedicate a full show to the event and review two of the better films that screened this year. First is the unrelentingly grim and terrifying Snowtown, the directorial debut of Justin Kurzel. The second film we review is also a first time feature, by writer/director Michaël Roskam – Bullhead is a disturbingly visceral art-house drama and one the most original crime pics in recent memory. All this and more.
Wake In Fright is getting a re-release - here is our review from our podcast:
Sound on Sight Podcast #310: Australian Genre Cinema: ‘Wake In Fright’ and ‘Snowtown Murders’ with Director Justin Kurzel
Ricky D had the pleasure of interviewing the director and co-writer of Snowtown (or The Snowtown Murders, as it’s now known in North America), Justin Kurzel, who happened to mention that 1971′s Wake In Fright as a standout Australian cult movie – so we thought, why not finally take it on? Along with the interview and our review of Ted Kotcheff’s offbeat classic, take a listen back to our review from late last year of The Snowtown Murders.
Sound on Sight Podcast #310: Australian Genre Cinema: ‘Wake In Fright’ and ‘Snowtown Murders’ with Director Justin Kurzel
Ricky D had the pleasure of interviewing the director and co-writer of Snowtown (or The Snowtown Murders, as it’s now known in North America), Justin Kurzel, who happened to mention that 1971′s Wake In Fright as a standout Australian cult movie – so we thought, why not finally take it on? Along with the interview and our review of Ted Kotcheff’s offbeat classic, take a listen back to our review from late last year of The Snowtown Murders.
2012: The Best Movies of February
2012 promises to be a fantastic year in cinema. Not too long ago, we posted a list of thirty of our most anticipated films of 2012, and so I decided I would keep track of my favourite films released each month. Here are my five favourite films released in February.
1- The Turin Horse
Directed by Bela Tarr
Bela Tarr is known as the Hungarian master of minimalist cinema and one of the greatest moviemakers of all time. At age 56, he sadly announced his retirement and The Turin Horse to be his final film. What better way to retire than with a starkly beautiful and exceedingly demanding meditation on the human condition. Here Tarr co-directs with his wife, Ágnes Hranitzky, and shares writing credit with novelist László Krasznahorkai, with whom he adapted one of his classic works, 1994′s Sátántangó, among others. The Turin Horse is an dubious story of Nietzsche, when in 1889, he saw a cabman abusing his horse and decided to intervene. The Turin Horse will bore 99% of audiences – but lovers of vivid atmospheric films will find themselves mesmerized. This is essential viewing for the braver, more discerning/patient filmgoer; a remarkable expressive black-and-white film with a haunting score, brilliant sound design, Tarr’s trademark long takes and the longest-most beautiful establishing shot you’ll ever see.
2012′s Great Movie Moments: February
At the end of each month, the Sound On Sight staff will band together to write an article about their favourite scenes in films released. Here are our favourite scenes from the month of February.
Click here to see January’s releases.
Chronicle - Space Needle
Chronicle will never be mistaken for an artistic breakthrough, but it is unquestionably endowed with the best special effects this low-budget shaky-cam movie could afford. The effects here (handled by Simon Hansen, second unit director on District 9) are terrific – both seamless and as realistic as can be. Most notable is the climax revolving around Seattle’s Space Needle, a remarkably economical urban view of widespread panic obviously done on a small budget yet rivalling that of any superhero movie of 2011. Shot for a reported $15 million, director Trank wisely strips down the pic – the compositions are visually clutter free, the shots usually static or steady – and the result is pure movie magic.
- Ricky D
Chronicle – The Spider
The fierce sympathy director Josh Trank extends to the films unfashionable central character puts the film a million miles above the generic Marvel flick. While the aforementioned “Space Needle sequence” is impressive, the best moment comes when Andrew uses his powers to vent his neurotic aggression – there’s a brilliantly staged moment of foreboding involving a spider. What happens next is pure poetry.
- Ricky D
‘The Snowtown Murders’, a strong directorial debut, showing great promise for a first time filmmaker
The Snowtown Murders
Directed by Justin Kurzel
Screenplay by Shaun Grant
2011, Australia
First-time director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant, using pointers from the books The Snowtown Murders and Killing for Pleasure, tell the story of John Bunting, Australia’s most notorious serial killer, whose modus operandi led to his 1990s killing spree – dubbed the “bodies in the barrels” case.
Snowtown is unrelentingly grim and terrifying – a strong directorial debut, showing great promise for a first time filmmaker. Director Justin Kurzel delivers a slow, effective burn, examining how one man’s harmful beliefs spread through a community in the most horrific way possible. Kurzel for the most part avoids sensationalistic, macabre or exploitative techniques. Well past the half-way mark, Snowtown is noticeably shy on demonstrating any direct depictions of the atrocities committed by Bunting. There is very little actual onscreen violence. Instead, scenes of rape, child molestation, and animal brutality take up the majority of the film’s first half. Snowtown shows the irrational paranoia and prejudice of a small community, and how Bunting carefully infected the minds of those around him – spotlighting the very worst attitudes in society. The result is depressing and at times unbearable to watch.
Sordid Cinema Podcast Rewind, Episode #29: ‘Snowtown’ and Oscar Nominated ‘Bullhead’
Fantastic Fest is one of the biggest film festivals in the states. Held in Austin Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse, the event screens nothing but the best in genre films. We’ve been reporting from the festival since 2009, but for the first time on the Sound On Sight podcast, we decided to dedicate a full show to the event and review two great films that screened there. First is the unrelentingly grim and terrifying Snowtown, the directorial debut of Justin Kurzel. The second film we review is also a first time feature, by writer/director Michaël Roskam – Bullhead is a disturbingly visceral art-house drama and one the most original crime pics in recent memory. All this and more.
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