Aloha From Hawaii – Alexander Payne’s The Descendants
Alexander Payne returns to screens for the first time since 2004’s Sideways, with a work that while cut from the same cloth, is ultimately quite the diversion for the Nebraskan filmmaker. The Descendants charts the life of Matthew King, a man coming to terms with the impending death of his wife. As he struggles to … Read more
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside – Bombay Beach
What follows is a reprint of our review of Bombay Beach from last years DocFest. The film is on theatrical release in the UK from today. An inverted look at the “American Dream”, Alma Har’el’s Bombay Beach is a beautifully constructed work, ground in emotionally resonating touches that cannot fail to effect and inspire. From the … Read more
Furious and Fast – Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop
There’s a certain energy that passes through Monte Hellman’s seminal meditation on the great American road. It seeps laconically through almost every aspect of the films construct. From the beautiful grain structure, seemingly organic in its nature, through to the breviloquent performances, each one at times both heightened yet grounded. Two-Lane Blacktop traces the path … Read more
Eastern Premise #47 – Sanshiro Sugata (Judo Saga)
In this weeks Eastern Premise Jason Julier takes in Akira Kurosawa’s Sanshiro Sugata. After almost a whole year of weekly articles we finally arrive at the biggest name in Japanese cinema. After 46 instalments it’s finally time for the arrival of Akira Kurosawa. Yes, it is long overdue but as one of the most visible … Read more
Masters Of Cinema Quarter Two 2012 Schedule
It seems like only yesterday that we were praising the announcements made at the Masters Of Cinema’s Spring 2012 event. Alas this afternoon marked the boutique home video label’s declaration of intent for this years second quarter, with an eclectic bunch of flicks making an appearance. The unlikely pairing of Alfred Hitchcock and Kenji Mizoguchi … Read more
Film Clash Episode 19 – The Haywire Episode
Film Clash is back, with our first “proper” episode of 2012! Ali returns from his time in the wilderness to reveal all about his favourite films of 2011. At the centre of the episode sits Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, while elsewhere Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar is briefly looked at. Listen Now: Click here to be taken to … Read more
Monday Blu(e)s and DVD
The first great week of new releases makes its appearance for 2012, with a veritable abundance of fantastic discs for thee to muse over. Hope Lies favourites The Masters Of Cinema make their 2012 bow with three fantastic new releases, and Second Run DVD also make an appearance. Please feel free to use the … Read more
In Defence Of… Forrest Gump
Today we welcome back new contributor Damon Carter, with his continuing adventures of the In-Defence Of kind. In this instalment Damon takes on a film considered by many to be the responsible for one of the all-time great Oscar injustices, Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump… What’s your favourite film of 1994? Not an easy question I know. … Read more
Introducing Chaplin Week at Hope Lies at 24 Frames Per Second
Charlie Chaplin. The Little Tramp. Charlot. Regardless of what name you know him by, the chances are that you do know of him. Without a hint of hyperbole intended it’s not much of an overstatement to suggest that Chaplin was quite probably the most famous man of the first half of the 20th century. Speaking … Read more
Los Angeles Plays Itself. For Very Few.
We’ve written on Thom Andersen’s Los Angeles Plays Itself in the past, but never with any real conviction, mainly due to the illusive nature of the film. It’s very rarely screened in the UK outside of the academic arena and the occasional film festival, thanks to the rights restricting manner in which the film is … Read more
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