Author: guitargalchina

Film writer. Film geek. Token Asian nerd.
Looking back

Looking Back – pre-Halloween Special: ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ (1992)

There was a time where horror films were not all about torture porn, found-footage or demonic possessions – this was a time when the genre was less indulgent in killing people. Francis Ford Coppola is known for his epic productions, such as The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979), but after the intense criticism from The Godfather III (1990), his next project is to direct an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic … Continue reading Looking Back – pre-Halloween Special: ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ (1992)

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Looking back

Looking Back – Pre-Halloween Special: ‘The Woman in Black’ (1989)

My first memories of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black were not from the long-running stage play nor the film starring Daniel Radcliffe. Instead, my first memories of the classic ghost story were through the TV spots for the UK adaptation that were so chilling, they caused many sleepless nights. First broadcast on Christmas Eve 1989, though rarely repeated since, The Woman in Black stars Adrian Rawlins as Arthur … Continue reading Looking Back – Pre-Halloween Special: ‘The Woman in Black’ (1989)

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Film Reviews

REVIEW: Doctor Strange – 4/5 stars

It is now a troubling time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After the events in Age of Ultron and Civil War, the Avengers are no more and what’s worse, new characters such as Ant-Man, Black Panther and Spider-Man 3.0 are effectively left in limbo until around 2017-18. Until then, Marvel brings out the second feature in the third phase – Doctor Strange, the latest origins … Continue reading REVIEW: Doctor Strange – 4/5 stars

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Looking back

Looking Back: ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’ – girl power, samurai-style

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” A proverb whose origins date from a French-English translation from the the early 19th Century, which has appeared in all forms of popular culture, such as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan or CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.  However, it is its brief appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s fifth feature film that sets the tone for his endeavour to blend … Continue reading Looking Back: ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’ – girl power, samurai-style

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Looking back

Looking Back: ‘Scanners’ – more than exploding heads

In the early stages of Cronenberg’s career, he established himself as a prolific director of horror films by splicing his features with science fiction elements.  His efforts in creating a new sub-genre went unnoticed until his seventh film, Scanners. At the time of its release, Scanners did not receive a lot of critical acclaim, but became successful enough for Cronenberg to break into Hollywood.  For film fans, its … Continue reading Looking Back: ‘Scanners’ – more than exploding heads

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Opinion

Opinion: #Breadexit – GBBO leaving BBC for C4

This morning, it was announced that popular BBC show The Great British Bake Off was sold to Channel 4 for a staggering £25 million. The news has divided fans, some stating that the show will be ruined by ad breaks by the move. But for others, it isn’t a big deal. It is just another show being moved to another channel – following in the footsteps of other reality … Continue reading Opinion: #Breadexit – GBBO leaving BBC for C4

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Film Reviews

Looking Back: ‘City of God’

For modern film fans, 2002’s City of God is a key entry in Brazilian cinema.  Based on Paulo Lins’s 1997 semi-autobiographical crime fiction novel, the film adaptation promotes themes of adulthood, survival and pessimism in one of Rio da Janiero’s favelas. City of God follows young aspiring photographer Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) and his childhood and subsequent adolescence in the Cidade de Deus favela.  Set between the end of the … Continue reading Looking Back: ‘City of God’

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Opinion

Birds Eye View Film Launch Their Biggest Ever Female-Focused Training Programme For 2017

Applications are now open for a suite of three flagship programmes aimed at greater inclusion and representation of women in the film industry, from distribution to production. They are majority funded by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, with BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery Funds, alongside Birds Eye View Film’s own funding and the endorsement of a range of partners. The three programmes: FUTURE LEADERS IN … Continue reading Birds Eye View Film Launch Their Biggest Ever Female-Focused Training Programme For 2017

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