dark – Page 2 – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

February 4, 2016March 6, 2016Posted in Comedy, F-RatedTagged adventure, animation, British, Comedy, dark, epic, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, historical, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry JonesLeave a comment

The Monty Python (Life of Brian, Meaning of Life) guys are on a quest.

Follow King Arthur (Graham Chapman), Lancelot The Brave (John Cleese), Sir Galahad the Pure (Michael Palin) and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir Lancelot (Eric Idle) along with a host of other characters (Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam) as they seek the Holy Grail.

Complete with witches, shrubberies, unladen swallows, a killer bunny and a castle of French men, this film is everything you would expect from the Monty Python crew. Gilliam’s animation are wonderful as always, as are the random jokes. Endlessly quotable, historically inaccurate and thoroughly British.

100 Word Review – The Departed (2006)

February 2, 2016March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., DramaTagged Action, Alec Baldwin, crime, dark, Drama, IMDb, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Scorsese, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Oscars, Ray Winston, William Monaghan1 Comment

If the film that (finally) won Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Shutter Island) his Oscar isn’t worth watching, then I’m not sure what is.

Screenplay by William Monaghan (Body of Lies, Edge of Darkness), it’s set in the duplicitous world inhabited by Boston’s mafia and law enforcement.

Intense, beautifully shot and with a cast to die for (Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winston), it has a truly brilliant soundtrack.

With four Oscars and at #43 on IMDb’s Top 250, I’d call it perfect, if only there were some strong women in it.

100 Word Review – Coraline (2009)

October 27, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., FantasyTagged adaptation, adventure, animation, Dakota Fanning, dark, Dawn French, family, Fantasy, Henry Selick, Horror, Jennifer Saunders, Neil Gaiman, Oscars1 Comment

Disappointed and frustrated by her life, Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) discovers an alternate reality in which everything is the same but better. What dark secrets could such a place be hiding?

Based on a novel by the always remarkable Neil Gaiman (Stardust, Mirrormask) and adapted and directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach), this is a beautiful family animation with a dark and twisted underbelly only found in the best children’s stories.

Nominated for an Oscar and with some recognisable voices (listen out for French and Saunders) this film is quite simply brilliant.

Short – Command-Option-Dump

October 4, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in Comedy, Sci Fi, ShortsTagged Comedy, computers, dark, Sci FiLeave a comment

Command-Option-Dump (2014) from Jonathan Flint on Vimeo.

Short – The Fly

October 4, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in Comedy, ShortsTagged Action, British, Comedy, crime, darkLeave a comment

The Fly from Short of the Week on Vimeo.

100 Word Review – Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)

July 28, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Fantasy, RomanceTagged adaptation, afterlife, Comedy, dark, death, Etgar Keret, Fantasy, Goran Dukic, John Hawks, Leslie Bibb, Patrick Fugit, Romance, Shannyn Sossamon, Shea Whigham, suicide, Tom Waits, Will ArnettLeave a comment

This is the latest addition to my every changing top 10 films. Dark, funny and beautiful.

Zia (Patrick Fugit) slits his wrists and wakes up in a grey and dreary world for people who commit suicide. When he discovers his ex-girlfriend has also killed herself, he knows he needs to find her.

Adapted from a novella by Israeli writer Etgar Keret by Croatian writer/director Goran Dukic, it definitely has a more multicultural feel than your average American indie.

Tom Waits, John Hawks, Will Arnett, Shannyn Sossamon, Leslie Bibb and Shea Whigham make up the marvellous supporting cast for this remarkable feature.

100 Word Review – Sightseers (2012)

June 2, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged A Field In England, Alice Lowe, Ben Wheatley, British, Comedy, dark, Kill List, Steve Oram, ThrillerLeave a comment

This film is proof that you don’t have to go far from home to create a truly twisted feature.

In an attempt to show his girlfriend (writer Alice Lowe) the world, Chris (co-writer Steve Oram) takes her on a caravan holiday in the Lake District. But as circumstances seem to conspire against them, they deal with it the only way they can… Murder.

Dark, hilarious and full of those little frustrations that most Brits are too, well, British to confront.

Director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, A Field In England) is a master of the macabre, and one to watch for.

100 Word Review – Election (1999)

May 7, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged About Schmidt, adaptation, Alexander Payne, Comedy, dark, election, high school, humour, manipulation, Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Sideways, The Descendants, vengenceLeave a comment

An Oscar-nominated comedy which felt somehow fitting for today.

Whatever you think of Reese Witherspoon, this film is brilliant and she shines as the obsessive high-achieving student determined to become student body president. Matthew Broderick stars as the teacher who gets in her way.

Directed by Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants), although it may be set in a high-school, this is not a teen comedy. It is certainly not Ferris Bueller!

Witherspoon is truly chilling and plays off Broderick’s frustrated civics teacher beautifully. The result is a dark, dark comedy with underlying themes of vengeance, fixation and manipulation.

100 Word Review – Wild Tales (2014)

April 1, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged Argentina, Comedy, dark, revenge, violenceLeave a comment

On cinematic release, here in the UK, this week, I first saw this Argentinian comedy at Bath Film Festival.

It is not for the faint-hearted.

Six separate stories, each following a very human story of frustration and revenge. From a psychotic pilot, to a bride discovering her husband’s infidelity. From parking ticket pay-backs to an extraordinary expression of road rage. This is humanity at it’s absolute worst and most violent. It is also hilarious.

I cannot stress this enough – it takes “dark comedy” to a whole new level. Be prepared for six beautiful, twisted modern fables for the modern age.