Network Distribution British Film Collection: Konga and Handgun

Unashamedly marketed as the ‘British King Kong’ and co-written and produced by Herman Cohen, who updated its themes to include not only man’s unquenchable thirst for power over nature but also over women, Konga was one of the very first gigantic monster movies filmed in colour (in SpectaMation and shot in London, including location shooting in Croydon).

 

Full review published by New Empress.

 

 

“There’s no way to explain rape, Larry.”

Handgun (Deep in the Heart) was originally released back in 1984, it stars Karen Young, as a bright eyed woman, living away from home for the first time and discovering all about life and the Texas lifestyle.  British Director Tony Garnett tackles the rape/revenge sub-genre and explores the American Psyche from an outsider perspective. Violent repercussion is not the answer here though with Garnett choosing to use education and clever power play as a means of revenge.

 

Handgun is also showing at BFI on 22nd June 2013

Full review published by Cinetalk.

Review: Painless

Director Juan Carlos Medina’s debut feature film (co-written with one of the [REC] writers Luiso Berdejo) is a haunting, visceral allegorical horror exploring the Spanish conscience in the aftermath of the civil war. When a group of children are diagnosed with the affliction of feeling no pain (a real condition called congenital analgesia) they are snatched away from their family, forced into straitjackets, tattooed with a letter and hidden away from the rest of the world in a sanatorium where they are experimented upon.

 

You can read my full review on Starburst Magazine

London Film Festival 2011: My Top Ten Films

I managed to see forty films at LFF this year, here are my personal highlights:

1. Shame 

“We’re not bad people; we just come from a bad place.”

 

Director Steve McQueen's second feature film delves into the life of a sex addict. 

2. 50/50

3. Chicken with Plums

Beautiful melodramatic story about how art sometimes comes from a painful place. I shed a tear...or two. 

4. Dreams of a Life

 

5. Take Shelter

 

6. Martha Marcy May Marlene

7. The Future

8. We Need to Talk About Kevin

9. Into the Abyss

10. The Monk

Vincent Cassel is PURE SEX in this film.

You can read all my reviews over on Cinetalk.

Review: The Future

I LOVE MIRANDA JULY. THE END.

(click above to read my review on Cinetalk)

London Film Festival: We Need to Talk About Kevin

 

Another excellent film showing at London Film Festival this year. You can read my review over at Cinetalk here.

55th BFI London Film Festival Quickie

LFF is under way and it is showing some abosolutely top notch films this year.

All my reviews will be posted on Cinetalk so please follow them for my coverage this year.

Reviews so far below:

50/50

Like Crazy

The Future

Take Shelter

Las Acacias

I'm Carolyn Parker