The Plot Thickens

The Movie Club: Oscar Nominations Part 2

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000+11:00

The Oscar nomination debate continues on The Movie Club as Scott, Jo and I take on the acting categories.

And while I'm talking Oscars, be sure to head over to Eat-Tori and check out her amazing Oscarfest feast!

AFCA Award

2012-02-15T17:18:00.001+11:00

Yesterday I was thrilled to receive the news that I had won the Australian Film Critics Association Film Writing Award for my review of Griff the Invisible.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In a year where the quality of writing was of an exceptionally high standard, the winners of the 5th annual Australian Film Critics Association (AFCA) Film Writing Awards have been selected.

Judged by Alan Finney (Chair of AFI), Professor Deb Verhoeven (Chair & Professor of Media & Communication at Deakin University) and Richard Sowada (Head of Film Programs, ACMI), the results are as follows:

Ivan Hutchinson Award for Writing on Australian Film WINNER: Rebecca Harkins-Cross “Who's Afraid of the Working Class? We Are”

Award for Writing on Non-Australian Film WINNER: Jake Wilson “Islands and Ghosts: Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer”

Award for a Review of an individual Australian Film WINNER: Alice Tynan “Griff The Invisible”

Award for a Review of an individual Non-Australian film WINNER: Josh Nelson “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives”

Even more delightful is the fact that this is my second win - I received the same prize back in 2010 for my review of Disgrace.

But the real cherry on top was the inundation of congratulatory tweets I received, even before I'd seen the press release. So thank you to all my film friends for your virtual high fives, and congratulations to the other winners - I'm looking forward to reading your work!

The Vow

2012-02-14T09:11:00.000+11:00

Blame the specter of Nicholas Sparks, or perhaps a pressing need to pay the bills, but Rachel McAdams (The Notebook) and Channing Tatum (Dear John) are clogging up the screen with another vanilla romance. Sigh. We must be approaching Valentine’s Day.

Honestly, why, Rachel? Why? You were just in fabulous, scene-stealing form in Midnight in Paris, and you’re about to appear in the next Terrance Malick film for pity’s sake. Why are you regressing to The Notebook days?

And Channing, ok, you may not have quite the same pedigree (G.I Joe: Rise of the Cobra, The Eagle…*crickets*), but anyone who has seen A Guide to Recognising Your Saints knows you’ve got some dramatic chops, so what are you doing spouting inane narration about defining ‘moments of impact’ (in a story about a car crash… groundbreaking)?

But really, while there is very little to wow in The Vow, there’s nothing to be snide about either. The film may be entirely unafraid of predictability, but it’s sweet, shiny and well acted; essentially it delivers exactly what it says on the box. Moreover the film is ‘inspired’ by the story of a husband and wife who struggled to reconnect after she lost all memory of their relationship in the wake of a car accident. The fact that the story is grounded in such striking truth helps you from thinking you’ve accidently strayed into a Days of our Lives amnesia storyline.

The Hollywood version sees Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum) as two pretty young artists, who meet cute at a Chicago DMV before settling down into hipster happiness. That is until a snowy car crash wipes the past five years from Paige’s memory, rendering Leo a stranger and her WASPy parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) her preferred lifelines. Leo (unsubtly named for his lion heart) fights to win back her love, but in Paige’s mind she’s a promising law student who is engaged to a handsome businessman, Jeremy (Scott Speedman). Decisions decisions…

Except decisions are exactly what The Vow avoids. Not nearly enough time is given to the love triangle to make Jeremy a real threat, nor is the catalyst for Paige’s hipster makeover given much oxygen. One can’t help but feel that quite a few scenes with Speedman, Neill and Lange wound up on the cutting room floor.

Are you now wondering what on earth is Jessica Lange doing in The Vow? For that you can thank director Michael Sucsy, who collaborated with the actress in the Emmy award winning telemovie Grey Gardens. Here she seems embarrassingly underused, though her third act monologue is delivered to absolute perfection.

Indeed, given the film’s potential for cloying melodrama, Suscy impresses with his lightness of touch. In Tatum he finds hints of a goofball to ameliorate Leo’s impassioned desperation, while McAdams gets to trade on her likability to play standoffish and – head injuries aside – surprisingly unsympathetic to Leo’s plight. Sam Neill is rock solid as the patriarch gently reasserting his dominance over his prodigal daughter, and fellow Antipodean Jessica McNamee (Packed to the Rafters) makes a pleasing Hollywood debut as McAdams’ lookalike sister Gwen.

Much like a cookie-cutter wedding, The Vow makes all the right moves, with very few surprises. But ultimately the film resembles its hero, Leo: stylishly functional, good-hearted…

And totally unmemorable.

3 stars

Published on TheVine
Australian release date: 9 February 2012

Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

2012-02-10T14:33:00.000+11:00

From James Bond to Jason Bourne, it’s easy to forget that espionage films can be stately affairs. But that’s exactly what director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) achieves, as he takes his lead from author John le Carré to craft an impeccable and brilliantly sly, slow burn thriller.

Gary Oldman is unrecognisably understated as he steps into the shoes of George Smiley, the role Alec Guinness made famous in the 1979 TV series. In the crucible of the Cold War, Smiley finds himself unceremoniously ousted from the British Secret Intelligence Service (code-named: the Circus), only to be covertly rehired in order to sniff out a suspected Soviet mole. Alfredson seamlessly cuts between the past and the present as Smiley and his assistant, Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch), meticulously investigate.

The ensemble cast that stirs up the Circus is simply an embarrassment of riches; with Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones and Tom Hardy all adding to what is masterclass filmmaking on every level. Oldman leads the charge in pitch-perfect fashion, making this film a must-see for lovers of the genre.

4 ½ stars

Published in The Big Issue #398

Australian release date: 19 January 2012

Limelight Magazine: Martha Marcy May Marlene

2012-02-09T14:04:00.000+11:00

Powerful, palpable and downright haunting, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a staggering cinematic achievement. It is the feature debut of writer-director Sean Durkin as well as the unveiling of a striking new onscreen talent in Elizabeth Olsen. Why the alliterative title? You’ll find out, as this taut psychological thriller works its way under your skin and into your nightmares.

Olsen is sensational in her “eponymous” role as a young woman who escapes from a cult led by the sinewy and sinister Patrick (a routinely brilliant John Hawkes). Fleeing into the concerned and confused arms of her estranged sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her fiancé (Hugh Dancy), Martha recuperates in the lap of luxury, only to be terrorised by her memories, and maybe even her surroundings.

Durkin mixes fear, memory and delusion into a heady concoction that he spins out into a gorgeously slow and enthralling mosaic. Jody Lee Lipes’ beautifully unsettling cinematography and the eerie elisions between past and present underscore Olsen’s captivating portrayal of a frayed but erstwhile searching psyche. Durkin curiously sidesteps moralising the cult, instead opting to lock his audience in with the fractured mind of his heroine.

4 1/2 Stars

Published in the January issue of Limelight Magazine.

Australian release date: 2 February 2012

The Movie Club: Oscar Nominations

2012-02-07T14:28:00.000+11:00

You can't have missed the fact that it is once again awards season. Yes that parade of pretty dresses and teary speeches, culminating in the supposed 'night of nights': The Oscars. Over on The Movie Club, Scott Ellis, Jo Cohen and I look at the Best Picture and Best Director nominations, and work up some serious righteous indignation for the names left off the lists!

And really, is no-one with me on Tree of Life?!

ABC702: The Artist and Martha Marcy May Marlene

2012-02-06T13:34:00.000+11:00

Last Friday I had the great pleasure of chatting with Linda Mottram, the new host of ABC 702 Mornings. Our first meeting was made even easier by the fact that I was on the show to rave about both The Artist, and Martha Marcy May Marlene - two films that I endorse absolutely, though for very different reasons!

Listen in below, and I'll be really curious if anyone takes me up on my Hugo/The Artist double bill? Drop me a line if you do!

The Movie Club: Martha Marcy May Marlene

2012-02-03T14:00:00.000+11:00

Yes Martha Marcy May Marlene has a veritable tongue twister for a title, but as a brilliant, slow burn psychological thriller, it will similarly skewer your brain!

Featuring a must-see debut performance from Elizabeth Olsen (yes, the younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley) as our titular heroine on the run from a cult, Martha Marcy May Marlene also heralds an exciting new writing and directing talent from first timer Sean Durkin.

Controlled, graceful and oh so creepy, this film had us all on the edge of our seats. So join me, Girlfriend Magazine’s Lauren Smelcher Sams and Trespass Magazine’s Beth Wilson as we consider joining a cult, as well as marvel over the film’s gossamer fine line between memory and paranoia.

The Movie Club: J. Edgar

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000+11:00

I'll admit Clint Eastwood had some explaining to do after Hereafter. And thinking about that alongside his newest endeavour J. Edgar, it's obvious Eastwood is still pondering legacy. Over on The Movie Club, Mel, Oscar and I touch on this as we discuss the history, the subjectivity and the make up that went into this telling of FBI's infamous founder.

Brooks and Mara

2012-01-29T23:36:00.000+11:00

Pinterest is my current obsession, and I just noticed the similarity between these two photos.

Louise Brooks and Rooney Mara, you're both class acts.

Source: alicetynan.com via Alice on Pinterest

Source: google.com.au via Alice on Pinterest

Trailer: Wish You Were Here

2012-01-24T13:57:00.000+11:00

Exciting news! Wish You Were Here now has an Australian theatrical release date: 5 April 2012.

Kieran Darcy Smith's debut feature recently had the honour of opening the Sundance Film Festival. Now, I've been trying to avert my eyes from reading reviews or buzz before seeing the film myself, but it seems those Blue Tongue boys have the golden touch.

Synopsis:

WISH YOU WERE HERE is a psychological drama/mystery starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer. Four friends lose

themselves in the fun of a carefree South East Asian holiday. Only three come back. Dave and Alice return home to their young

family desperate for answers about Jeremy’s mysterious disappearance. When Alice’s sister, Steph, returns not long after, a nasty
secret is revealed about the night her boyfriend went missing. But it is only the first of many. Who amongst them knows what
happened on that fateful night when they were dancing under a full moon in Cambodia?

Australian release date: 5 April 2012

Interview: Jason Segel & Kermit the Frog (The Muppets)

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000+11:00

The Muppets are back! After a dozen years in the cinematic doldrums, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the gang (I won’t presume to play favourites – *cough* – Beaker – *cough*) are bringing their beloved brand of singing, dancing and general shenanigans to the silver screen. Championing their return as co-writer and co-star is Jason Segel. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who giggled through 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall (also penned by Segel) and its climactic Dracula rock opera, with puppets. Segel is definitely the right man for the job.

And Segel was the man I bumped into as I stepped out of the elevator for The Muppet’s junket in Sydney.

“Alice Tynan!” he declared, complete with a big Hollywood grin.

“Errr…..” I was incredulous. How does Jason Segel know my name, let alone recognise me?!

Then I remembered the tweet I’d sent out, and we both smiled and nodded, “Twitter.”

Yup, that’s the power of Twitter my friends.

The actual interview was similarly surreal. You’ll note my wide-eyes and giddy smile as I regressed to five-year-old glee at the childhood dream-come-true of sitting across from Kermit the Frog. Fortunately you get a similar experience in the cinema watching The Muppets. If you’re anything like me you’ll walk out with your cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

Enjoy!

The Muppets interview from TheVine on Vimeo.

Published on TheVine
Australian release date: 12 January 2011

The Movie Club: Hugo

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000+11:00

Scorsese's love letter to cinema:

To watch Hugo is to rediscover the magic and wonder of cinema. It’s really as simple as that. Martin Scorsese’s stellar adaptation of Brian Selzick’s gorgeous graphic novel uses the latest 3D technology to celebrate the very beginnings of cinema. Indeed, though outwardly a children’s fable about an orphan finding his place in the world, Hugo is so beautifully conceived that it should win over even the most stoic of 3D skeptics.

Join me, Trespass Magazine’s Beth Wilson and Girlfriend Magazine’s Lauren Smelcher Sams as we take a trip back to 1930s Paris to fall in love with Hugo, and enjoy an unforgettable lesson in film history from the master, Mr. Scorsese.

The Movie Club: Transmission Films

2012-01-06T16:51:00.001+11:00

Kicking Cinema into Gear

If you like your films with brains as well as beauty, then it’s high time you were introduced to Transmission Films.

Since they launched in 2008, this independent Australian distributor has been shaking up the local cinematic landscape, bringing the works of filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Woody Allen, Lars von Trier and David Lynch to our silver screens.

Join me as I chat with Transmission Films Managing Directors Richard Payten and Andrew Mackie about revving up* Australian cinema audiences in 2012.

*"Many inches of Michael Fassbender" will well and truly do that!

Watch the Movie Club episodes on Burning Man and The Eye of the Storm

The Big Issue: The Hot Seat

2012-01-03T12:48:00.001+11:00

Summer and cinema go so wonderfully well together. They are sultry, sibilant tones. But let’s be honest: it’s really all about the air-conditioning. Who hasn’t made that sweaty dash to escape the summer sun for a couple of hours of popcorn crunching thrills and spills? Then there are school holidays to consider, when the kids have gone prune-like from the pool and start nipping at heels for alternative forms of entertainment. And come Christmas, the dire need to escape relative-infused revelry is just the thing to get bums on cinema seats. Or, in a more civilised fashion, there are the plethora of outdoor cinemas that pop up every summer, where you can revel in the long, warm nights, a glass of wine and some cinema under the stars.

So whether you’re escaping the heat, avoiding your relatives, entertaining the kids or kick starting your brain, here’s the lowdown on summer near the silver screen...

Boxing Day Bonanza

It’s well worth asking Santa for cinema vouchers this year, because Boxing Day is going to be a doozy. First up we have the staggering Steven Spielberg double bill: the deliriously anticipated The Adventures of TinTin and the slightly tougher sell, War Horse. With TinTin Spielberg letting his imagination run away with him in his dazzling use of performance-capture technology. Fans of Hergé's beloved series won’t be disappointed by this boisterous romp, a world away from the battlefields of World War 1 where War Horse is set. Still, this Lassie-esque story may well hoof at your heartstrings.

Other big names this Boxing Day include George Miller’s Happy Feet 2 3D, which will surely set toes a’ tapping. The Iron Lady will set tongues wagging about Meryl Streep’s Oscar chances, as the stellar actress coifs up to play former UK PM Margaret Thatcher. But Streep will have a bit of competition from Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs, which is an impeccably made but frustratingly slight tale of a fastidious woman passing as a male butler. It's beautifully acted, but ultimately lacks cinematic scope.

Matt Damon could use a butler or at the very least some serious help on the hom front as he stars with Scarlett Johansson in We Bought a Zoo. This is based on Benjamin Mee's bestselling 2008 memoir (he rally did buy a zoo!), the film adaptation has received heartwarming treatment by director Cameron Crowe (Jerry McGuire, Almost Famous).

Ben Stiller is the final big gun this Christmas, though mercifully this isn’t another of the Focker franchise. Instead he’s teamed up with Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick and Casey Affleck for this Bernie Madoff-inspired, Tower Heist. This film follows a group of hardworking guys taking revenge on a fraudster who fleeced them of their pensions.

School holiday hits:

Kid-friendly films this summer include the dashing Puss in Boots (8 December). Though not as strong, this Shrek spin-off will probably clog up letters to Santa with pleas for kittens. Then there’s Dolphin Tale (15 December), which fits squarely in the Free Willy camp, although Morgan Freeman makes for an interesting draw card. Less appealing is Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (1 January): those squeaky voices can’t be good salve for sore heads come New Years Day. But on the other hand, The Muppets (15 January) are absolutely worth getting excited about. This frisky and uproariously fun reunion of our favourite puppets will leave you smiling like Fozzie Bear.

Escape the relatives:

Fleeing the nest means you’re in desperate need of popcorn and mindless distraction, so Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (15 December) has got to top your escape agenda. Tom Cruise always serves up a high-octane action jaunt, but for the forth M:I film, he’s doing so with animation auteur Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) at the helm. Now this we have to see.

Much less pressing, but suitably mindless is New Year’s Eve (8 December). It looks as thoroughly silly as its predecessor Valentine’s Day (2010), but there’s still something about Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) and a great swathe of Hollywood stars (Katherine Heigl, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker and even Robert DeNiro), that might manage to sparkle.

Stop the sunstroke:

If you need to fight off the sun-soaked drowsiness and kick-start your brain, then look out for Martha Marcy May Marlene (19 January - nb. now 2 February). This festival darling might star an Olsen sister (Elizabeth), but it’s an utterly electric psychological thriller about a girl who escapes from a cult. More cerebral drama comes from Danish provocateur Lars Von Trier's latest film, Melancholia (15 December). Hauntingly beautiful visuals and a career best performance from Kirsten Dunst make this dark adventure a must see. As is Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (19 January). The brilliant adaptation of John le Carré 1974 novel sports some of Britain’s best acting talent. Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy deliver nothing short of a cinema master class.

So there's your entertaining, escapist, extraordinary summer of cinema sorted. Let's hope the air-conditioning holds up.

Published in The Big Issue #395

Top 10 of 2011

2011-12-31T18:05:00.001+11:00

Happy New Years Eve everyone! As we farewell 2011, it's time to take stock of the year in cinema. Once again the marvellous Matt Ravier has polled Sydney critics for their best films of the year, so be sure to head over to A Life in Film to see the top 20 released and unreleased films, as well as all the great wrap ups. It turns out both my #1s take poll positions - winner!

Here are my lists, with links to reviews where possible:

BEST RELEASED:

Drive

Bill Cunningham New York

Melancholia

The Tree of Life

Black Swan

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Midnight in Paris

Incendies

Bridesmaids

Jane Eyre

BEST UNRELEASED:

Martha Marcy May Marlene

A Separation

Shame

Hugo

Tomboy

The Arbor

Tiny Furniture

The Forgiveness of Blood

Attenberg

How to Die in Oregon

Another cinematic year has shot by and I’m left grappling with my sieve-like memory: Black Swan was released in 2011, right? Indeed I feel a bit sorry for the films from early in the year, especially lighter fare like Tangled or Rango - both of which I was giddy about at the time – as they seem to have found themselves elbowed out by art-house behemoths like Tree of Life and Melancholia. In fact it strikes me that my list reads a little like a who’s who of art-house snobbery, so forgive me! I promise films like The Guard, The Trip and even True Grit were vying for position on this list. And what of local cinema? The brilliant Burning Man, the delightful Griff the Invisible or Fred Schepisi’s impeccable The Eye of the Storm definitely deserve honourable mentions. As does Snowtown…for haunting my nightmares. Bring on 2012 (minus the apocalypse, please!)!

So there you have it. Have a very Happy New Years Eve everyone (whatever you do, don't waste it watching New Year's Eve!)! Here's to many many more film fun times in 2012.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T19:16:00.001+11:00

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Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas!

Here's to eating, drinking and enjoying all the merriment the holiday season has to offer. And of course I'm looking forward to oodles of film fun in 2012.

But why wait til then? I'm just back from another delightful family celebration and kicking back with this guy on Blu Ray - can you pick it? (If you know me you probably won't even need to look!).

Giveaway: The Iron Lady

2011-12-21T16:30:00.002+11:00

It's Christmas come early! Well, errr, actually late depending on how Australia Post goes - but regardless, thanks to Icon Films I'm delighted to have some tickets to give away for The Iron Lady.

The marvellous Meryl Streep has already garnered a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, so you'd better catch this film to keep ahead of all the Oscar buzz.

Synopsis:

London, 2008. In her well-appointed apartment, the elderly former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher prepares breakfast for her husband Denis, as she has every morning of their married life. It’s not until Margaret’s personal aide bustles in that we see that Margaret sits at the table alone. Denis is alive only in her imagination.

Once described in life as “always present, never there”, Denis is still present for Margaret. Is he a loving memory made flesh? A manifestation of her grief? Or perhaps her conscience, taking her to task?

Locked in the infuriating inaction of retirement and battling ill health, Margaret is ambushed by memories. Fragments of her private life and of her premiership crowd in to her mind and she relives them in vivid detail. As she struggles to maintain her equilibrium, Denis teases and needles her. The struggle, the triumphs, the betrayals – in the end, what did she achieve? When all is said and done, was it worth it?

THE IRON LADY is the story of a woman who came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world. It is a film about power and the price that is paid for power, a story that is both unique and universal. THE IRON LADY stars Academy Award-winners Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher and Jim Broadbent as her husband, Denis.

To win one of FIVE double passes to see THE IRON LADY, simply email me (subject: THE IRON LADY) with your name and address. Winners will be notified by reply.

Australian release date: 26 December 2011

Interview: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Chris Miller (Puss in Boots)

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000+11:00

Back over on TheVine, I had great fun interviewing Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and director Chris Miller about their animated feline prowess in Puss in Boots.

Unfortunately I was suffering from a horrid fever and tonsillitis, but it turns out my state of semi-delirium was quite appropriate for talking to Antonio and Salma, who had done over 700 interviews! Hat's off to them for being so delightfully animated (sorry), after such an epic press tour.

Published on TheVine
Australian release date: 8 December 2011

The Movie Club: Melancholia

2011-12-19T12:36:00.000+11:00

[Insert Metaphor Here]

Yes, the metaphors are quite literally the size of planets in Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia. But by God does he pull them off.

With a knockout performance from Kirsten Dunst, a luminous Charlotte Gainsbourg and a stellar supporting cast in Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt, Melancholia is the most artfully devastating dyad of depression. But it’s also not without a sense of humour…

Indeed Giles Hardie, Ben McEachen and I have a world of fun discussing this beautiful film, and maybe, just maybe, we wade in on the metaphors!

Limelight Magazine: Melancholia

2011-12-16T14:33:00.000+11:00

The gravitational force of depression is devastatingly and magnificently explored in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia.

By dividing his focus between the fates of two sisters, Von Trier explores the inner melancholic demons that plague Justine (Kirsten Dunst) on her wedding day, and the manifold fear Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) holds towards the strange, eponymous planet that appears to be bearing down on Earth.

Von Trier also manages to outdo the jaw-dropping beauty of Antichrist’s operatic opening, with Melancholia’s first frames unfolding in an utterly stunning, ultra-slow motion sequence.

Dunst and Gainsbough are simply glorious on screen. Their effortless performances are masterfully supported by an enviable ensemble, which includes luminaries Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt, a wantonly underused Alexander Skarsgård, and an uncharacteristically effete Kiefer Sutherland. Audiences will no doubt pick their favourite of the film’s two parts, with Justine’s wedding feeling like a distilled, perfected version of Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married, while Claire’s angst builds towards the film’s transcendent climax.

There is nothing subtle about the metaphors at work here, especially as von Trier steeps his film in Wagner’s epic tones. But depression as apocalypse is both a horrifying and beautiful sight to see, making Melancholia a piece of cinema that will leave you reeling.

4 1/2 Stars

Published in the December Issue of Limelight Magazine

Australian release date: 15 December 2011

Interview: Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol)

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000+11:00

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I was already starstruck enough at the prospect of interviewing Simon Pegg, but to sit down with Brad Bird as well?! Of course I film geeked out! In fact, you'll get to see a bit on camera, as the brilliant, Academy Award winning director wraps up our conversation with a fun dose of film history.

Big high fives to my marvellous brother James for helping me learn the ropes of video editing.

Enjoy!

Published on TheVine
Australian release date: 15 December 2011

Interview: Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol)

2011-12-14T13:14:00.000+11:00

Yes I got to interview Simon Pegg!! So much excitement! (Though alas I couldn't really justify gabbing about Spaced...another time perhaps.)

And even more exciting is the fact that you can actually see the interview (below or over on TheVine) because I've finally had a crack at video editing. I still have much to learn and finesse (be kind!), but I'm hoping this will be the beginning of a whole new chapter.

Published on TheVine
Australian release date: 15 December 2011

The Movie Club: New Year's Eve

2011-12-12T14:52:00.001+11:00

Yes yes I know The Movie Club is supposed to be about recommending the best in film, and New Year's Eve definitely doesn't fit the bill! But it did afford Melissa, Scott and I the opportunity to chuckle over why the celebs flock to these ensemble films, as well as chat about our favourite cinematic ensembles.

And to that end I cannot BELIEVE I forgot to mention Robert Altman! Cinema gods smite me!

If you can forgive the glaring omission, then watch the episode below and feel free to share your fave film troupes over on our Facebook page.

The Movie Club: Attack the Block

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000+11:00

Over on The Movie Club Melissa Wilson, Scott Ellis and I had lots of fun reminiscing about Spielberg's E.T, and busting out some dodgy South London accents to review Joe Cornish's fantastic debut Attack the Block.

Enjoy, innit!