With the acclaimed mini-series The Pacific released this year, Santosh Sandhu presents an updated look at the influence of World War II on filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s body of work… Steven Spielberg’s father was a pilot in World War II and his stories formed a strong part in his son’s upbringing. Spielberg began making movies at […]

The Reef, 2010. Written, Directed and Produced by Andrew Traucki. Starring Damian Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, Adrienne Pickering, Gyton Grantley and Kieran Darcy-Smith. SYNOPSIS: Four friends embark on a sailing and snorkelling trip round the Great Barrier Reef, but things are far from idyllic when their boat capsizes and their only chance is to swim through […]

In the Loop, 2009. Directed by Armando Iannucci. Starring Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Chris Addison, Mimi Kennedy, Gina McKee, Steve Coogan, Anna Chlumsky and James Gandolfini. SYNOPSIS: An MP inadvertently stirs tensions over a conflict in the Middle East and finds himself caught in the middle of the pro- and anti-war factions on both sides […]

The American, 2010. Directed by Anton Corbijn. Starring George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli, Irina Björklund and Johan Leysen. SYNOPSIS: Lucky to be alive after his most recent job goes sour, an assassin retreats to a small town in Italy to lie low. Befriending a priest and pursuing a relationship with a local […]

American filmmaker Blake Edwards has died today aged 88 after suffering complications of pneumonia at a hospital in Santa Monica, California. Born in Oklahoma in 1922, Edwards began his distinguished career as an actor before stepping behind the camera for his theatrical feature debut as a writer and producer on the 1948 Western Panhandle. Edwards […]

Iron Man 2, 2010. Directed by Jon Favreau. Starring Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg and Samuel L. Jackson. SYNOPSIS: After revealing his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark faces new challenges in the form of the US government and rival industrialist Justin Hammer. An unassuming […]

Following the recent passing of director Irvin Kershner, Trevor Hogg explores the development of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back… “For many fans and cinephiles, Empire is the best of the Star Wars movies, dark and enigmatic – the film noir of the saga,” writes author J.W. Rinzler in the introduction of […]

Pray the Devil Back to Hell, 2008. Directed by Gini Reticker. SYNOPSIS: The story of a group of brave and visionary women who demanded peace for a country torn apart by civil war. Sitting in a luxurious hotel lobby in Spain last week I came across an article by the actor Hugh Bonneville in The […]

James Ellis explores the influence of cinema on the video game industry… A very demanding title I’ll admit. This is not an ever lasting debate over which is more entertaining. It is not a bout of two major media giants ready to exchange blows like King Kong and Godzilla. But rather a look at how […]

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Next (Swedish: Luftslottet som sprängdes), 2009. Directed by Daniel Alfredson.Starring Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace and Lena Endre. SYNOPSIS: Awaiting trial for attemped murder, Lisbeth Salander races to prove her innocence with the aid of Millennium reporter Mikael Blomkvist. As far as film trilogies go, the Millenium films have been […]