D.J. Haza presents the next entry in his series of films to watch before you die… The Matrix, 1999. Directed by Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano. The Matrix is one of the most iconic films in the modern era and itself draws on […]

Goon, 2011. Directed by Michael Dowse. Starring Sean William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Liev Schreiber, Kim Coates and Eugene Levy. SYNOPSIS: A bouncer undergoes a change of career to become the star enforcer of an underachieving ice hockey team. Let’s get the Rocky reference out of the way to begin with. It’s a sports […]

The Watermen, 2011. Written and Directed by Matt L. Lockhart. Starring Jason Mewes, Richard Riehle, Floyd Abel, Luke Guldan and Tyler Johnson. SYNOPSIS: A group of sport fishermen and their attractive lady friends go on a fishing trip, but they soon get captured by some murderous watermen and must fight for their lives. What worse […]

Hostel, 2005. Directed by Eli Roth. Starring Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson and Eythor Gudjonsson. SYNOPSIS: Three backpackers travelling through Europe find themselves staying in a hostel with a dark secret. It’s difficult to deny that Hostel is an important film within the horror genre, ushering in a wave of torture porn. David Edelstein’s 2006 article […]

D.J. Haza presents the next entry in his series of films to watch before you die… Philadelphia, 1993. Directed by Jonathan Demme. Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen and Antonio Banderas. Philadelphia is one of the first Hollywood films to deal with the sensitive subject of homosexuality, homophobia and the gay community’s […]

War Horse, 2011. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Toby Kebbell. SYNOPSIS: A horse is sold to the calvary and sent to the front during World War I. The poster for War Horse tells us that horse and boy are ‘Separated by war. […]

D.J. Haza presents the next entry in his series of films to watch before you die… The Silence of the Lambs, 1991. Directed by Jonathan Demme. Starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glen and Ted Levine. The Silence of the Lambs is the chilling cinematic story based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name. […]

Red Tails, 2012. Directed by Anthony Hemingway. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Ne-Yo, Method Man, Nate Parker, Elijah Kelley, Tristan Wilds, Theo James, David Oyelowo, Michael B. Jordon, Josh Dallas, Daniela Ruah and Bryan Cranston. SYNOPSIS: The true story of the heroic exploits of the Tuskegee airmen during World War II. As much as […]

Commenting on the critics with Simon Columb… Xan Brooks writes for The Guardian on 19th January about the audience members who demanded a refund (!!!) after realising that The Artist was a silent film: “Stories like this are reliable broadsheet catnip, because they make us feel so superior to those cultural illiterates who don’t read […]

Haywire, 2011. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Gina Carano, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Bill Paxton, Antonio Banderas, Michael Angarano and Michael Douglas. SYNOPSIS: After being double-crossed on her last mission, a female black ops soldier seeks revenge. Steven Soderbergh is many things. He is one of the most pioneering directors of digital filmmaking […]