Demob Happy

The fantastic Mr Fox As probably Paul Theroux’s best-known fiction work I’ve long wanted to read ‘Mosquito Coast’, and not just because I am a fan of his grumpy brand of travel writing. A 1980s feature film adaptation – starring Harrison Ford and River Phoenix – left a indelible mark on me, perhaps because, as [...]

[Read more →]

If it ain’t broke… 6/10 The trend of the director’s cut has long become a dubious exercise in profit-making. Hilariously, a quick Amazon search of ‘director’s cut’ reveals extended edits of such dizzying filmmaking classics as Troy, The Chronicles of Riddick, Daredevil and Welcome to the Jungle! And for the few good examples that I [...]

[Read more →]

The thrill of the chase 8/10 Mel Gibson might have alienated a core part of his audience by choosing to film in a dead Mayan dialect, but Apocalypto’s cinematic conceit is universal: this is a chase movie, and a very good one. In fact, anyone who has watched a movie in foreign language will have [...]

[Read more →]