what the film - What The Film

Is Television Going Downhill?

TV shows on 03/11/2008

Television is a big industry. It has been a big industry for years and chances are very good that it will continue to be a big industry for some time to come. However, one aspect of television that seems to be going downhill these days is the sitcom category and since sitcoms form a large part of the demand for television in the first place, the poor performance of modern sitcoms in relationship to their counterparts from other areas can be directly tied to the poor performance of television overall.

Full Battle Rattle, Unconventional Iraq War Documentary? Really?

Festivals on 29/07/2008

There have been several documentaries recently about Iraq. It’s probably Michael Moore’s doing with Farenheit 911, which gave documentary star status and brought it closer to reality TV than quality film making. That sparked lots of low budget on line documentaries, some indeed involving the war in Iraq, and it also sparked a more general interest in documentaries, both on the side of the film makers, as well as that of audiences.

Most documentaries dealing with this war (Farenheit 911, Iraq For Sale, Taxi To The Dark Side, etc.) may have small elements of comedy, in order to break the string of extremely serious issues being discussed, but for the most part are solemn affairs, dealing with death, lies and manipulation. Surprisingly enough, death, lies and manipulation (and the Iraq war) seem to be the main themes of Full Battle Rattle, however they make it funny. And poignant. But mostly funny.

5 Best Recent Sitcoms

TV shows on 28/07/2008

Now before I get attacked by a slew of condemnations and recommendations about The Golden Girls, or Faulty Towers and the such, let’s all remember that entertainment is subjective. It’s all a matter of taste. Especially when it comes to sitcoms, they are not high art, they are just there to entertain and numb your brain after a long day at work and a hot and sticky commute. So here are just some of the sitcoms I have enjoyed watching over the last few years.

Alice? Who the fu-… no, wait, we know who she is.

Industry news on 25/07/2008

It’s been less than a week that I made my post on Tim Burton and I just read on the BBC that an actress has been picked to play the role of Alice in his adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s fantasy novel.

Soundtracks, a recommendation part 1

Industry news on 23/07/2008

Soundtracks act as indicators of what era the film is set in, whether it is a comedy or a horror, whether a character being introduced is good or bad.

Stanley Kubrick Season on More 4

Directors on 22/07/2008

For More 4’s Kubrick season, from films such as Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining, and rushed in each time to catch the end of trailer.

Shane Meadows, Mr. Selfdestruct

Directors on 21/07/2008

My mother’s last birthday present to me was a box set. What can I say, the woman knows me well. Probably because I had been going on and on about Shane Meadows and This is England. So now I own a box set of his films called This is Shane Meadows and it includes all of his feature films as well as some wonderful bonus material.

Tim Burton: Alice in Wonderland, but where are you?

Directors on 18/07/2008

A few months ago I came across a Sweeney Todd poster in a film magazine, and being a huge Tim Burton and Johnny Depp fan it went straight on the wall. Even though I had been thoroughly disappointed by pretty much everything he had done since Big Fish, I assumed that Tim+Johnny+Helena+Blood+Musical would most definitely equal success. So after dragging 5 of my friends to the cinema to watch Sweeney Todd I went straight home and literally tore the poster off the wall.

The Darkest Knight?

Cinema releases on 17/07/2008

In a week’s time the Dark Knight hits the cinemas and boy has it received…