Steve Warne has worked as an animator on movies like Frankenweenie, Ma Vie de Courgette and Kubo and the Two Strings. But he also wrote, directed and animated this short film in 2015, Pombo Loves You. It’s about a father who shares custody and takes care of his daughter part of the time. When she’s at his place she find a Pombo mask, which brings back vivid and traumatic memories for the father. Continue reading
“All art is fake” is one of the first texts your read while watching Manifesto. Of course, this applies entirely to film, in which people pretend to be in certain situations. Nonetheless, there is an unwritten contract with the viewer in which he deliberately lets himself be deceived during the running time and plays along in pretending it is reality. Art can be something different for everyone. One person absolutely hates it, others can lose themselves in it and for those who make it, the meaning and goals are different. For decades artists try to stand out, rebel against the established order, bring something new for which they sometimes write a manifesto. Artist / director Julian Rosefeld worked with Cate Blanchett to to bring the words of various manifestos to life in various contemporary settings. Texts by, among others, Karl Marx, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Jim Jarmusch, Werner Herzog and Lars von Trier. Continue reading
The thing about going on holiday and long flights, is that there usually is a big selection of movies available to watch. Of course you have the big blockbusters, but also titles you’ve never heard of before. Unconfessional was one of those titles I found underneath the Korean movies section. And as you can’t quickly check IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes while flying to see if it’s worth watching, it gave me the feeling of visiting a rental store and picking a movie purely based on it’s picture and a short description. Continue reading
When the Belgian movie Black had its cinema run I read a lot of positive things about it. It is set in Brussels and focusses on the criminal part of society, specifically local gangs and their rivalry. Because of the subject matter and the fact I had seen various American movies dealing with the subject I watched this with some expectations, but that the movie would be so extreme during a couple of points, shocked me. Continue reading
Sometimes there are these movies you just know you’ll skip because it’s something you’ll probably won’t enjoy, but which later are suggested to you by so many people who you have to change your opinion and give them a chance. For me this was the case with this film, The Witch. And as this movie is labeled as a horror movie I wasn’t going to watch it (one of the few genres I don’t watch). But when I saw this title appear in various “best of 2016” top 10 lists and when someone asked me for a good horror movie I suggested this one, which forced me to give it a look as well when I received feedback from that person that it wasn’t very good. I felt a bit guilty for suggesting it. Was it really that bad? Continue reading
Although I’m Dutch I hardly watch Dutch movies, but last year I gave a couple of them a chance and they managed to surprise me (like Waterboys and Publieke Werken). When a fellow blogger suggested to watch this one, I decided to give it a chance as it was available through Netflix, so the only thing I would lose if I didn’t like it would be some time. Continue reading
808 is a number you might not be familiar with, but if you do something with music chances are that you know what it references, namely the Roland TR-808 drum machine which was released in 1980. It might be an old machine, but the sounds it produces are still used today. When I made music myself I mainly did so on my PC, but I did have a digital version of this machine (in the form of Rebirth, which now is available as an app on your iPad) which I sometimes used. The 808 is a legendary machine that has left its influence and this documentary takes the viewer along on a musical journey to make that clear. Continue reading
A couple of years ago it was easy to classify games into various genres. There were some experimental games, but there weren’t that many of them and they usually didn’t get much attention. But indie games (which are made by small teams) have become a lot more popular. They can offer something you haven’t experienced before and Ryan Green is a developer who offers a very emotional experience with his game. The title is That Dragon Cancer. Continue reading
We all have a certain image of politicians. We would like to see them as people with strong moral values and although many will have them, politics remains a game in which negotiation is part of it and where compromises have to be made. Some politicians stand out though and when they do the media (and the public) will love it. We saw that a couple of years ago over here in the Netherlands with Pim Fortuin (who unfortunately was murdered) and recently with Trump. You can also see that in TV shows as we love characters that approach things differently. How else would you explain the popularity of House of Cards. When details of their private lives make the news they can destroy someone (just ask Anthony Weiner). Jim Traficant, who would end up in American Congress also had a colourful career which this documentary focusses on. Continue reading
I’m someone who has always been able to appreciate the documentaries Louis Theroux makes. With a lot of respect and realistic view he has been able to get access to people who were part of special groups. With his curiosity and style of questioning he managed to give insight into the motivation of his subjects, not matter how extreme. Scientology is a religion which is present all around the world and has many followers, including celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The fact that Therous was making a film about it got me interested. Continue reading