James Marsh

Hitchcock

Anthony Hopkins gives a fantastic performance as the Master of Suspense in this otherwise slight and uneven big screen telling of the making of Psycho. Helen Mirren co-stars as his… Read More
REVIEW: Hitchcock

I arrived at Sacha Gervasi’s Hitchcock prepared for an underwhelming big screen depiction of the Master of Suspense during the making of his most famous film, Psycho. Muted praise and… Read More
Sunrise

As part of an ongoing project over at Twitch, contributors are finally tackling their Lists of Shame in a feature called “Full Disclosure”. First on my list was F. W.… Read More
Gangster Squad

Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Sean Penn head up a strong cast that is largely squandered in Ruben Fleischer’s flashy yet superficial 1940s gangster yarn. The script seems… Read More
Goon

Seann William Scott delivers what is perhaps the best performance of his career as the slow-witted yet lovable Doug Glatt, who finds himself swept up into the Canadian ice hockey… Read More
Universal Soldier: Regeneration

After enjoying the hell out of the fourth installment in this resurrected franchise, Day of Reckoning, I was advised to check out the previous chapter. Also directed by John Hyams,… Read More
Trollhunter

Witty, exciting and utterly original, Andre Ovredal’s found footage film succeeds by playing it dead straight, where others may have been tempted to play the film for laughs. A student… Read More
Hellraiser

Clive Barker’s 1987 directorial debut sees Clare Higgins graduate from philandering wife and stepmother to serial murderer, when she discovers the reanimated corpse of her former lover hiding out in… Read More
Silver Linings Playbook

David O. Russell’s adaptation of Matthew Quick’s novel has received a huge awards push this season, becoming the first film since Reds in 1982 to receive nominations in all four… Read More
Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino delivers another rip-roaring slice of reverential exploitation Cinema, this time dressing up a condemnation of the American slave trade as a blood-soaked spaghetti western. Read my full review… Read More
REVIEW: Django Unchained

It was a foregone conclusion that Quentin Tarantino would one day produce his take on the spaghetti western. There are glimpses of this distinctive genre’s style in many of his… Read More
Three Colours: Red

I was relieved to discover that Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colours trilogy ends as strongly as it begins, with a deceptively surreal story of a catwalk model who befriends an aging,… Read More
Looper

I caught Rian Johnson’s much-loved indie time-travel thriller when it opened here in Hong Kong, but I had only just landed after a mammoth 48-hour trek from Texas to London… Read More
Futureworld

I have seen Michael Crichton’s Westworld a number of times, but had never gotten around to watching this 1976 sequel before today. Starring Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner as a… Read More
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1

I often struggle to really appreciate these animated films, despite enjoying the comics and the characters. There’s something about the medium that simply fails to engage me the way live… Read More
James shares his Golden Globe predictions

I figured as the Golden Globes were happening in a few short hours, I’d quickly jot down my predictions. I’m only bothered about the film categories, but here’s who I… Read More
High Noon

Gary Cooper plays the newly-married Marshal, set to leave town and start a new life with pacifist Quaker wife, Grace Kelly, when he learns a vicious criminal is heading into… Read More
My Sucky Teen Romance

Written and directed by 18-year-old Emily Hagins, this low budget but smartly-observed horror comedy follows a group of high school graduates as they attend a geek convention, only to discover… Read More