There are movies that get called pretentious when they're not. Movies that approach their subject matter from a unique or perhaps obtuse perspective that, because of said approach, don't spoon-feed the audience. They assume some intelligence or participation on the viewer's part. Recent examples being Under The Skin, Upstream Color or Holy Motors. The method may be unconventional, … Continue reading Review: Birdman
As the year draws to a close it strikes me that there are a few films I've caught up on but not reviewed. Mostly I like to try to post my reviews in a timely fashion for when the films in question appear in the cinemas or on VOD services here in the UK. These, then, are … Continue reading Unreviewed: The Films Of 2014 I ‘Missed’
I'm not a responsible person. I don't have any dependants. I live in rented accommodation. Like Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha, I have the sneaking suspicion that everyone around me has figured out how to be an adult ahead of me. And I'm in my thirties now. At some point, I suspect, being an adult … Continue reading Review: Happy Christmas
Year: 1982 / 1992 / 2007 Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Harrison Ford (Deckard), Sean Young (Rachel), Rutger Hauer (Roy Batty), William Sanderson (J.F. Sebastian), Daryl Hannah (Pris), Edward James Olmos (Gaff), Brion James (Leon Kowalski), Joanna Cassidy (Zhora), Joe Turkel (Dr. Tyrell) Genre: Science Fiction / Thriller Ridley Scott's brand of science fiction is wet. … Continue reading Why I Love… #73: Blade Runner
And so with a sense of exhaustion we come to the end of the story, or, if you're counting this as a lead-in to the Rings trilogy, the middle. The middle of Middle Earth. Take a deep breath, make sure you're pepped up on caffeine or have a decent on-hand supply of gummy sweets, popcorn or … Continue reading Review: The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
Here at the Hotel I have a different approach to Christmas. Sure, there are the classics. It's A Wonderful Life, Die Hard, Gremlins etc, etc. But a tradition of sorts has also appeared of going back to the least Christmassy of yuletide films. Essentially, if you're not one to deck the halls with whatever but still like to theme … Continue reading The Lost Highway Hotel’s Alternative Christmas
The top ten Under The SkinHerThe Wind RisesIdaBoyhoodThe LEGO MovieNightcrawlerThe GuestNymphomaniac Vol. 1Only Lovers Left Alive Film Of The YearUnder The Skin " Under The Skin detaches the viewer from the identifiable shapes of conventional filmmaking, evoking an alien approach to such banal locations as shopping malls and roadside cafes. Watching the film is like discovering … Continue reading The Best of 2014
