Following on from both the completion of the Akira manga, and his work on the anime adaptation of his own work, Katsuhiro Otomo got to work on his first foray into Live Action films with his adaptation of a story written by Satoshi Kon (yes, acclaimed director of Perfect Blue, Paprika and Tokyo Godfathers, SatoshiContinue reading “World Apartment Horror (1991), Otomo’s Hidden Gem”
Author Archives: Amos Lamb
Akira (1988), Katsuhiro Otomo’s Magnum Opus
A cluttered and claustrophobic cityscape, cut in two by the near-empty motorway directly in the middle of the frame. These clusters of buildings, as seen from a birds eye view, feel uncomfortable, while the empty road feels uncanny. All you can hear is the swelling of wind, a very anxious noise, as the camera followsContinue reading “Akira (1988), Katsuhiro Otomo’s Magnum Opus”
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), an Entertaining, but Flawed Crossover Event
Following on from the disaster that was Man of Steel, I was expecting the worst going into the 3-hour extended cut of Snyder’s follow-up film: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (and yes I had to go for the extended version because I want the full experience of these films), but honestly, while it’s farContinue reading “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), an Entertaining, but Flawed Crossover Event”
Sherlock Holmes (2009), A Stylised Interpretation of a Classic
Guy Ritchie is an odd director, the man who made British crime classics like Snatch, also helmed the live-action remake of Aladdin. I remember seeing both of his Sherlock Holmes films back in cinema when they came out, and I remember being a fan of both at the time, so when I saw that bothContinue reading “Sherlock Holmes (2009), A Stylised Interpretation of a Classic”
Studio Ghibli #5: Only Yesterday (1991)
It’s crazy to me that in any other animation studio, Isao Takahata, given his filmography, would easily be considered one of the best directors of animation of all time, it’s just unfortunate that he worked in a studio alongside one of the few directors that could challenge him for that title (that being Miyazaki ofContinue reading “Studio Ghibli #5: Only Yesterday (1991)”
Ivan’s Childhood (1962), the Early Formations of a Prosperous Career
Shot only two years after his diploma film, The Steamroller and the Violin, Tarkovsky embarked on his first feature film; Ivan’s Childhood. A frank and brutal depiction of the human cost of war, adapted from a short story by former soldier Vladimir Bogomolov, Tarkovsky highlights the terrors of war through a young orphan utilised onContinue reading “Ivan’s Childhood (1962), the Early Formations of a Prosperous Career”
Man of Steel (2013), An….interesting way to launch a franchise.
Kicking off the DC comics extended cinematic universe, Man of Steel was meant to be the answer to the ever-growing popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Produced by The Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan, the film was eventually directed by Zack Snyder, known for his previous comic-book adaptations; Watchmen and 300. Despite a lacklustre criticalContinue reading “Man of Steel (2013), An….interesting way to launch a franchise.”
Studio Ghibli#4: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
In this column, Amos Lamb will take you through the wonderful world of animation. Exploring what makes it such an appealing genre/medium for all ages, with the focus spanning from the mainstream animation studios like Disney & Studio Ghibli, to more obscure animation such as Japanese OVA’s, British claymation, Czechoslovakian stop-motion and everything in-between.Continue reading “Studio Ghibli#4: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)”
Re-Animator (1985), Rest in Peace to a Cult Horror Legend
With the passing of cult horror legend Stuart Gordon, it felt only right to finally visit his feature film debut, the iconic: Re-Animator. This was a film I’d heard about for so long, the image of Jeffrey Combs’s Herbert West and his fluorescent serum has long since been immortalised in the pop-culture canon and thusContinue reading “Re-Animator (1985), Rest in Peace to a Cult Horror Legend”
Onward (2020), a Fantasy Film Rooted in the Mundane
I must admit that when the first trailer for Onward dropped, it was far away from my radar. In my opinion, apart from a few examples here and there, Pixar have recently been producing more misses than hits for me. I was slightly curious about Onward, as it is normally their original IP’s that endContinue reading “Onward (2020), a Fantasy Film Rooted in the Mundane”
A Fistful of Film 