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A Way Back!
It doesn't seem that long ago the last time I came across a Sunday supplement asking "where has it all gone wrong for Irish film?" or in this case stating "we made fine films once" in the Sunday Times recently. While the statement has the hard core of truth about it, the article is a little short on … [Read More...]
Consuming Moving Images
According to an article in the Los Angeles Times recently, cinema attendance is significantly down. I believe the same is true for our domestic market. I live in Kilkenny, Ireland which is a town (a city by Royal Charter going way back let it be said) of about 25,000 people. Those who know me are … [Read More...]
Miles To Go
I'm at that stage of development where you swing from - this is crap to this is brilliant. But I've learnt to live with that. I think that perpetual oscillation is not only healthy but unavoidable because at the stage of writing the first draft, it's probably true. This new project is called "Miles … [Read More...]
Monster lessons!
I am always captivated by the success of micro budget films, particularly when they're feature débuts and the latest in that pantheon is Gareth Edward's Monsters. It comes in at an unbelievable $15,000, however when you watch the Blu-Ray extras, you realise that Edwards wrote, directed, DOP'd and … [Read More...]
Irish Film Board – Transition in a changed World
A time of transition invites us to look back and assess the accomplishments of an outgoing incumbent's time in office and also to look forward and ponder what a new office holder will do differently or better. Simon Perry spent 5 years as CEO of the Irish Film Board and it is perhaps premature to … [Read More...]
The King’s Speech – A triumph of filmmaking
Take a man and give him a seemingly insurmountable problem, pile on the pressure until finally he stands victorious and you have the the baseline of many films too numerous to mention. Film heroes from James Bond to Indiana Jones to Rocky have all trodden a similar path - and yet "The King's Speech" … [Read More...]
Christmas, Ireland and the IMF
"It was the worst of times, it was the best of times". So began one of Charles Dickens's greatest novels - "A Tale of Two Cities". Depending on your point of view, the arrival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) into our country this week most likely provokes one of the two sentiments expressed … [Read More...]
I Wanna Go Home!
I've taken to watching films I've seen before, I know we all do that, but it's interesting to see if they stand up many years after release. So last night I watched Martin Scorcese's 1985 film "After Hours" with Griffin Dunn, Teri Garr, John Heard, Rosanna Arquette and Linda Fiorentino. In the … [Read More...]
The Beat That My Heart Skipped
Having bought a DVD a couple of weeks back on a recommendation, I finally got a chance to watch it. It's a French film called "The Beat that my Heart Skipped" directed by Jacques Audiard and released in 2005 (so this is not a review). It tells the story of a young man Tom (Romain Duris), who … [Read More...]
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!
Came across an interesting piece from the Tokyo International Film Festival over the weekend, you can check it out here. It offers an insight into the business of filmmaking from the vantage point of an Oscar winning Irish screenwriter and director Neil Jordan, and it's not a comforting one. I've … [Read More...]
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