How do you judge a film to be ‘great’? That’s the question, amongst others, that I find myself asking when predicting the list of this year’s Best Picture nominees. Within that ten, there are only really five frontrunners (see my upcoming article with all my predictions) with a chance of picking up the prize, so what it is about these five films that makes them ‘great’, w... Continue Reading
In my experience, the moment you get good at something, you realise you’re no good at it. Once you seize a whiff of ability, a bouquet of disillusionment arrives at your door. Understanding usually dwarfs aptitude. As a result, your appreciation of technique grows exponentially as you slowly begin to develop your own. For the jealous and possessive, to simply observe a developed talent in others can become a form of self-flagellation.
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Many a film fan would say, and reasonably so, that the awards season, occupying the cinematic calendar from November until the culminating Academy Awards ceremony in late February/early March, is meaningless. These months are often characterized by the shameless promotion of films made and financed for the purpose of winning the trophies, many with an air of worthiness and ‘quality’ stereotypically set during a certain period or around a ... Continue Reading
Some people love a good lyric. They have them permanently inscribed on their bodies. They whisper them to loved ones in the dark of the night. They stand in for philosophical conceits, political persuasions, and often negotiate the complex space between real feeling and articulation. Me, I usually couldn't care less; it's often just arbitrary ... Continue Reading
2011 looks set to be a year for music regaining its sense of space. Not so much music about space-though it’s about time Babylon Zoo’s evergreen raver classic ‘Spaceman’ enjoyed a revival-but artists like James Blake and Jamie Woon, whose silence-flecked sounds, employing swathes of space and breathy pauses, are currently enjoying some time in the critical limelight.
Dubbed ‘microstep’, the genre takes its lead from post-dubste... Continue Reading
It’s sad to say, but sometimes a little restraint does no harm. And I’m not about to launch into a polemic against Yuletide excess. Watching It’s A Wonderful Lifeand reaching for a Quality Street every time it gets sentimental is a treat no one should be without this festive season.
No, I’m talking about sitcoms. In this week’s first Quotation From A Less-Than-Reputable Source, Walt Disney left us with these wise words: ‘always le... Continue Reading
The user comments underneath the Guardian’s review of Kanye West’s latest album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy provide an interesting complement to the all-out rapture that’s greeted the release of West’s fifth LP. While EyeSeeSound2 goes for the jugular, ‘Listen properly to this album and it sounds like it was made by a 15 year old as a youth club project’ and jiggyjay1985 goes for the irreverent, ‘cracker ass CRACKER!!’,... Continue Reading
