Under the Shadow

Following on from the horror hit (in indie circles at least) of A Girl Walks Home Alone, Under The Shadow uses the success of the aforementioned film to boost itself into becoming one of the most hotly anticipated films among horror fans with positive buzz from Sundance and Frightfest only increasing the anticipation. Set during the latter stages of the Iran-Iraq war, Under the Shadow is about a mother and daughter terrorised by an evil spirit known as a Djinn. After her husband, a doctor, leaves to work in a dangerous military zone and her neighbours leave a war-torn capital Tehran, Shideh (Narges Rashidi) finds herself alone and isolated.

I, Daniel Blake

Geordie Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) has recently suffered a heart attack and his doctors have come to the conclusion that he is unable to work and must apply for out-of-work sickness benefits. However, because his heart attack doesn’t stop him lifting his hands above his head he fails to reach the required points to qualify for benefits and thus is rejected. This leads Daniel is great financial difficulty, but he finds solace in helping single mother Kate (Haley Squires) who has recently moved to the area.

Zoolander, Love and Friendship and The Darkness

Zoolander is a cult hit and has many fans despite it’s somewhat offbeat humour. Personally, I never really cared for it and I care for Zoolander 2 even less. Both Derek (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) have been out in the wilderness for years (both literally and figuratively) as a result of the collapse of the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good but are brought out of retirement by Interpol agent Valentina Valencia (Penelope Cruz) when numerous celebs are murdered.

Thursday Movie Picks #116: Cults and Secret Societies

A new Thursday Movie Picks for you this week, and this week it's Cults and secret societies. Please visit http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.co.uk/

Hell or High Water

 

Hell or High Water is not a dissimilar film to the Coen’s No Country with Old Men with its grizzled cop, sudden explosions of brutal violence and bleak and cynical outlook on the modern day American West where two brothers are forced to rob banks to pay off the mortgage on their ranch that the bank is about to foreclose. These two brothers are divorced dad, Toby (Chris Pine), and convicted felon, Tanner (Ben Foster), who decided to rob the banks of Texas, hot on their heels are two cops (played by Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham). 

Sing Street

Due to the recession and his parent’s financial difficulties, Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) moves to a much rougher school where he becomes the target of tyrannical teachers and boisterous bullies but luckily for him it appears to be the case that apparently musical talent impresses girls (I have zero talent let alone zero musical talent). So, in order to impress this gorgeous girl, Raphina (Lucy Boynton), who hangs outside his school, Conor lies about being in a band so Conor, and group of mates, start a band and invite her to be in a video.

Blair Witch

Back in 1999 The Blair Witch Project made quite a lot of noise, rumours circulated that the film was real and the actors actually died whilst making the film. Even I vaguely remember hearing about a ‘real’ horror film despite being only 8 or 9 years old at the time. Obviously, it wasn’t real and film’s success was perhaps due to the masterpiece of marketing (the infancy of the internet helped the film become a massive hit) even if the film went on to influence horror for the greater part of the following decade.