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The Society For Film

James Just Watched

Detention

Detention

There’s a degree of method in the madness of Joseph Kahn’s all-in balls-out execution that’s quite commendable. Unwieldy fun. Read more »

Fernando Just Watched

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The-Hunger-Games-Catching-Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is, in every way, a better, bolder and more rewarding film that its predecessor. While the first film relied almost solely on the performance of Jennifer Lawrence (who is once again excellent here), the supporting cast, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci have more asked of them […] Read more »

Best Of 2013

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2013 In Review – James Marsh

on January 3, 2014

There’s always a sense of urgency as we near the end of another calendar year, and the urge to cram as many as-yet-unseen films into the last few days means I always wait until the dust has settled and the deadline has been irrevocably passed before I attempt to review the previous 12 months. 2013 […] Read more »

Fernando2013

2013 Top Ten – Fernando Gros

on December 30, 2013

This has been an extraordinary year in cinema. By the end of the year I will have seen over 170 films, most of them recent releases, a substantial number of which were decent, if not rather good indeed. I can’t remember another year where it was so hard to whittle down my cinema going experiences […] Read more »

Podcasts

Gangs-Of-Wasseypur

Dispatch 47 – Run Run Shaw, Gangs Of Wasseypur And New Year’s Resolutions

on January 12, 2014

This week we remember the passing of a legend in Hong Kong cinema, Run Run Shaw and also James’ experience speaking on the BBC World Service about Shaw’s passing. Then we discuss Gangs Of Wassypur Part I And II, which made James’ list of the best films from 2013, but didn’t have quite the same […] Read more »

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Dispatch 46 – The Best (And Worst) Of 2013

on December 28, 2013

Our annual review show, looking back at the best and worst of 2013. In what has been a remarkable year in cinema we’ve gone through the somewhat painful process of handpicking the best films of 2013 and we were both surprised by the results of our conversation. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Read more »

Love-Actually

Dispatch 45 – Christmas Films

on December 20, 2013

Our thoughts turn to Christmas in this week’s podcast as we discuss the many kinds of Christmas films out there and a few of the controversies they evoke. From classics to romantic comedies, from capers to outright horror, Christmas seems to inspire a lot of filmmakers and screenwriters and not every Christmas film out there […] Read more »

Reviews

Man of Tai Chi

REVIEW: Man Of Tai Chi

Written by James Marsh

For his directorial debut, Keanu Reeves chooses the somewhat bizarre choice of a martial arts tournament flick, similar to Enter The Dragon or Bloodsport, shot almost entirely on location in Hong Kong and Beijing. Reeves takes for himself the role of the villain, Donaka Mark, orchestrator of an underground martial arts betting syndicate. Reeves gifts […] Read more »

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REVIEW: Elysium

Written by James Marsh

Neill Blomkamp made an incredible entrance in 2009 with District 9 – a bold new voice in science fiction that used the allegory of a lingering alien invasion to discuss the subject of racism and apartheid in his native South Africa. His follow-up feature is actually a fairly similar venture, with Matt Damon playing a […] Read more »

47-Ronin

REVIEW: 47 Ronin

Written by Fernando Gros

The story of the 47 Ronin, former Samurai who bravely faced inevitable death in order to uphold the honour of their former lord is one of the most moving stories in Japanese folklore. This tale has been told over and over in film, theatre and television adaptations and yet, remains largely unknown to Western audiences. […] Read more »

Before Midnight

REVIEW: Before Midnight

Written by James Marsh

Richard Linklater and his stars/co-writers Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy revisit Jesse and Celine once more in the third installment of their ever-improving Before franchise. It is fair to say that very few people were even aware of this film’s existence before it was announced as part of the Sundance line-up at the beginning of […] Read more »

The-Towering-Inferno

REVIEW: The Towering Inferno

Written by Fernando Gros

After a highly successful run, as a producer of hit TV Science Fiction shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, Irwin Allen returned to the big screen in 1972, producing The Poseidon Adventure, a star-studded, technically innovative, action-disaster film. He followed this up […] Read more »

About James Marsh

Based in Hong Kong, James is Asian Editor for Twitchfilm.com and a freelance film critic, focusing on New Asian Cinema and genre films from around the world. He also programmes for Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. You can follow James on Twitter via .

About Fernando Gros

Based in Tokyo, Fernando is a musician, photographer and writer. He has written extensively on religious themes in cinema and has an abiding passion for Bollywood, Film Noir and the work of David Lynch. You can follow Fernando on Twitter via .

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