Simon Roger Key

How funny are Americans in Europe? Woody Allen aims to strike gold again with To Rome With Love

To Rome with Love sees Woody Allen continue to develop his collective of films about Americans abroad. Midnight in Paris (Allen, 2011) was that rare Woody Allen film; being a critical and commercial success – something Allen has scarcely achieved in the last 20 years. The question then, is whether To Rome with Love would be as good as the film it followed, or would it have more in common with the boresome You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (Allen, 2010), or, would it flounder somewhere in the middle? I visited Dartington’s Barn Cinema to find out…

After a brief stint directing TV’s Breaking Bad, Rian Johnson has returned to the silver-screen revitalised, with his newest film, Looper

In 2005, Rian Johnson debuted with the sensational neo-noir, Brick. A film that took the codes and conventions of a film noir, and transposed them to a high-school setting – ie a brat-pack film with private dicks and femme fatales. Following Brick, Johnson made the convoluted and rather disappointing, The Brothers Bloom (Johnson, 2008), which tellingly suffered from ‘shooting’ difficulties and studio interference. Johnson’s first film in four years sees him tackling Science-Fiction, in his time-travel caper, Looper, but the question is, it is any good?

Andrew Dominik returns with an all star cast in Killing Them Softly

With his sensational debut, 2004’s Chopper and his Western, 2007’s masterpiece, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Andrew Dominik is carving himself a career which fixates upon outlaws and violence. His films are predominantly preoccupied with the homosocial sphere, the embattled male and masculinity. So, would his third film, and second collaboration with Brad Pitt, Killing Them Softly, be a departure or would these themes continue? I visited Dartington’s Barn Cinema, to find out…

Dartington’s Barn cinema shines with a limited run of Orson Welles’ magical, F for Fake

The screening wasn’t packed, but once again Dartington’s Barn proves itself to be the South West’s premiere art-house cinema, with a limited run of Orson Welles’, F for Fake.

Shadow Dancer; a tense film with outstanding performances from Cornish filmmaker, James Marsh

Andrea Risenborough & Clive Owen in Shadow Dancer — Collette & Mac share a tense moment.

James Marsh’s newest film explores Northern Ireland’s Troubles in Shadow Dancer (Marsh, 2012) and I visited Dartington’s Barn Cinema to see if Marsh’s take on the IRA, was up to scratch…

Forget The Artist, Ron Fricke’s Samsara is the cinematic of 2012…

Samsara is Ron Fricke’s first film since 1992’s Baraka and like its predecessor, Samsara is a non-narrative film. However, not only does Samsara defy the conventions of popular narrative cinema, but also our expectations of the documentary format. The film features no narrator, no dialogue or any descriptive text whatsoever. Instead, the film asks that you form your own narrative by interpreting the visually stunning cinematography. Sounds rather pretentious, but it is without doubt the cinematic event – if not film – of the year.

Fancy choosing a film to be screened at Dartington’s Barn Cinema? Well, here’s your chance…

Do you have a favourite film that you’ve never seen on the big screen? Would you like to pick a film to be screened at Dartington’s Barn Cinema? Of course you would, and the good folks at Dartington are making that a reality. Yes, you, the lovely cinema-goers have the opportunity to choose what film is screened at the Barn Cinema’s, Facebook Film Lover’s Night, on Sunday, October 21 at 8pm.

There’s a dazzling spectacle coming to Dartington’s Barn Cinema, from Ron Fricke, the master of time-lapse photography

Samsara film — Samsara: Ron Fricke’s latest non-verbal, non-narrative flick

If this summer is anything to go by then we’re in for a wet and windy autumn, so it’s a good thing that Dartington’s Barn Cinema, have a cracking autumnal line-up.

Mike is present and with muscles upon his muscles, but where is his magic wand…

Magic Mike (Soderbergh, 2012) is the somewhat biographical take, on Channing Tatum’s escapades prior to acting, but is Steven Soderbergh’s newest film – about male strippers – any good? I visited Dartington’s Barn Cinema to find out…

An actors vanity project you’ll actually enjoy… Simon Roger Key reviews Your Sister’s Sister

Director Lynn Shelton hasn’t done anything too interesting since Humpday (Shelton, 2009), in which two straight male friends, decide to make a gay porno together – for a bet.

Simon Roger Key reviews The Women on the 6th Floor

It’s taken two years for The Women on the 6th Floor to cross the channel, so I went along to Dartington’s Barn Cinema to see if it was worth the wait…

Spend a weekend with Russell and Glen -or an hour and a half – and you won’t regret it, says Simon Roger Key, in his review of Andrew Haigh’s, Weekend

Following Andrew Haigh’s debut, Greek Pete (Haigh, 2009), comes this assured and poignant romantic drama about two men who have a one-night stand, but unexpectedly over the space of a weekend, their time together blossoms into something more, something intimate and special.

Friedkin and Letts return, but is their second collaboration, Killer Joe, any good? Simon Roger Key went along to a screening at Dartington’s Barn Cinema, to see for himself.

After a couple of guest episodes on the ever so tedious CSI, followed by a brief break, Billy Friedkin is back, and his newest film is Killer Joe.

The sage moves full circle with The Dark Knight Rises (review)

I was giddy with excitement as I sat down at Exeter’s Picturehouse, to watch the unveiling of Christopher Nolan’s third and final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan, 2012). All the familiar faces were expected to return – with the exception of one – but was Nolan’s swansong the epic conclusion this trilogy deserved or had he – like our protagonist – grown tired and weary?

Batman in an increasingly gritty and realistic world: The Dark Knight (retro-review)

Critically, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (Nolan, 2005) was received rather well and despite its slow momentum at the box office, a sequel was soon announced. However, the question hanging over production wasn’t whether Christian Bale would return, or who would be the film’s bad guy – that was obvious – the real question was whether or not Nolan would be back. And return he did.

The slow process of healing: Monsieur Lazhar at The Barn Cinema (review)

Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag) is a refugee seeking asylum in Montreal, Canada, after his wife and children were murdered by terrorists in Algeria. The former restaurateur decides to pass himself off as a teacher – a profession he observed his wife in for many years – and when Martine, a teacher at a local school hangs herself, the perfect opportunity presents itself.

Did the Caped Cruisader really grow up in Batman Begins? (retro-review)

Batman Begins, movie — Batman Begins: putting Christopher Nolan at the helm was considered a risk, which paid off

In 2005, after an eight-year hiatus the Dark Knight rose from the ashes. In those intervening years, since Joel Schumacher’s terrible debacle Batman & Robin (Schumacher, 1997), MARVEL’s films had radically changed the Hollywood Blockbuster landscape. Action cinema is arguably dead; replaced by skin-tight spandex and tales of woe and responsibility.

Won’t somebody think of the children?! Oh, wait… here’s the pick of the week’s releases

Electrick Children, movie — Electrick Children: with child from a tape recording? It must be more than a pregnant pause

Electrick Children is about, Rachel, a teenage Mormon girl who falls mysteriously pregnant, and unsurprisingly, her religious family aren’t too keen on this particular transgression. However, Rachel believes that her conception was immaculate and rather bizarrely, that her pregnancy was caused by listening to a tape recording of rock music – I know, pregnant by music, whatever next?

Made in Britain season – best of the latest digital releases

The Man Who Fell To Earth, movie — The Man Who Fell To Earth: highlighting the talents of Nicolas Roeg

The Picturehouse’s Made in Britain season culminated with a screening of Hammer’s Quatermass and the Pit (Ward Baker, 1967). It was supposed to be a season of films (five in total), which celebrated British cinema. But was it a success?

Intelligent script propels the sci fi in the Martian romp of Quatermass and the Pit (review)

Quatermass and the Pit, movie — Quatermass and the Pit: strange goings on under the streets

The fifth and final film in the Picturehouse’s Made in Britain season was Hammer’s Quatermass and the Pit, which was directed by Roy Ward Baker – a director who had an extensive career in both film and television. Anyway, I popped along to Exeter’s Picturehouse for a busy screening of a beautifully restored digital-print.

Ping Pong and God Bless America: the week’s top movie releases

God Bless America, movie — God Bless America: a journey to dish out justice to the worst of the US

I’ve seen two of Bobcat Goldthwait’s films: Sleeping Dogs (2006) and World’s Greatest Dad (2009). I enjoyed both, so can Bobcat make it a trifecta, with his newest film God Bless America?

The monster beneath the waves is re-released. JAWS review

Jaws, movie — JAWS: Roy Scheider’s Chief Brody suffering internal horror beside the seaside

JAWS, was unquestionably Steven Spielberg’s breakthrough film, launching the director’s career into the stratosphere, while simultaneously introducing the world to the summer Blockbuster. As part of Universal’s centenary they decided to digitally restore, 13 of their ‘classics’, and unsurprisingly JAWS was a no-brainer. Prior to the film’s release on Blu-Ray (later this year), Universal reissued the film in cinemas, for a brief theatrical run, and I had the pleasure of watching what is, the definitive, tent-pole summer film.

Guns, machetes and martial arts: The Raid (review)

The Raid, movie — The Raid: it might not be for everyone, but the massive scraps deserve adulation for their choreography

Gareth Huw Evans’ The Raid isn’t just an action film. It is the action film. In fact, it’s difficult to remember a film with so many bone-crunching sequences, and so, equipped with my emergency germolene and bandages, I was ready to face the assault, as I headed down to Dartington’s, Barn Cinema.

Made in Britain, David Lean’s Hobson’s Choice

Tuesday just gone, I popped along to Exeter’s Picturehouse, to check-out the latest film in their Made in Britain season, David Lean’s 1954 film, Hobson’s Choice.

Get thee to a cinema! The Fairy and Killer Joe previewed

The Fairy, movie — The Fairy: Tati-esque French rom-com

The Fairy is a French film which is clearly indebted to the cinema of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton. That visual allusion to cinema’s silent comedians isn’t new though, with comparisons being made to those comedians films, when this trio of directors, released their 2008 dance-extravaganza, Rumba. A film which was called, “Tati-esque”.

Simon Roger Key

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