Cinematography

Review – Annihilation (2018)

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by Old King Clancy

As a writer, Alex Garland has had a hand in some of the best sci-fi of the 21st Century with 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and Dredd under his belt. He continued that trend into his directorial debut, Ex_Machina, which ended up as my top film for that year. When his latest film, Annihilation, got in the news for being considering too ‘smart’ for the average audience and sent straight to Netflix everywhere except the US, Canada, and China, you couldn’t help but wonder exactly how smart Garland had made his film. Especially, when you factor in that both Garland and one of the producers refused to bow into the studio demands to dumb the movie down.

Having now finally seen it, I’m glad Garland stuck to his guns because Annihilation is one of the most unapologetic cases of Hard Sci-Fi I’ve seen for a while.

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Oscars 2018 – Predictions

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by Colby Sanchez

2017 was a fantastic year for movies. Like most years, the Academy left out many Oscar worthy contenders. For example, I personally thought The Florida Project was snubbed for a Best Picture nomination, along with a few other categories. Brigsby Bear, A Ghost Story, Good Time, Killing of a Sacred Deer, and It are few others to name that were completely robbed. Continue reading →

’31 Days of Horror’ Review – Maniac (2012)

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Frodo’s Gone Homicidal in ‘MANIAC’

by Nile Fortner

A socially awkward serial killer (Elijah Wood) removes the scalps’ of women and attaches them to his mannequins, to bring a new life to them.

A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Last House on the Left, The Amityville Horror, Cabin Fever, and The Wicker Man are all classic horror films. On the other hand, I believe these classic horror films have not been remade into classic remakes. Many remakes fail to capture the energy, wisdom, and likeness of the original. It is very difficult to capture lightning in a bottle twice, especially with horror movies. Many directors, producers, and writers of horror all tend to follow the same format, and end up being predictable, bland, and lifeless nowadays. However, director Franck Khalfoun (‘P2’ and ‘High Tension’) brings some new life into a cult classic, a new direction, and in my opinion a better film. I believe that Maniac (2012) is a rare exception of the remake actually being better than the original.

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Review – Dunkirk (2017)

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by Henry Hill

Some movies are made with the sole purpose of being seen on the big screen. In the case of director Christopher Nolan, a majority of his films fall into this category. They are grand in scope and give the viewer the feeling as if they are pedestrians on a city street being towered over by skyscrapers. The cinematography of Nolan’s films always include wide shots showcasing the vastness of the particular setting they are taking place in and always have a very authentic feel to them, placing the viewer in the thick of the story, and making them feel like they are part of a large world. Dunkirk is no different; it was filmed using the large format IMAX cameras and it is a behemoth of a war movie complete with thunderous explosions, a heart-thumping soundtrack, and one of the most harrowing evacuations in history.

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