Archive
K-POP DEMON HUNTERS – Marcelo Zarvos
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
One of the most fascinating trends to emerge in recent years has been the emergence of Korean popular entertainment into the western mainstream. When I was a kid, there were no really popular films from countries in East Asia – China, Japan, South Korea – outside of highbrow movies by directors like Akira Kurosawa, and to the best of my recollection no widely known Japanese or Korean pop songs charted in the UK as mainstream hits in the 1980s or 1990s, with the possible exception of a couple of instrumentals by Kitaro and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The first truly massive mainstream Asian pop hit was Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012, which soared to #1 on the UK Singles Chart and stayed in the charts for many weeks. Read more…
SIN NOMBRE – Marcelo Zarvos
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
A thriller about illegal immigrants, Sin Nombre is directed by Cary Fukunaga and stars Paulina Gaitán, a teenager trying to cross the border from Honduras into Mexico and, eventually, the United States by stowing away on a train with her father and uncle. However, Sayra’s already difficult journey becomes deadly when she is targeted by members of a vicious local street gang as part of an initiation rite. The score for Sin Nombre is by Brazilian pianist and composer Marcelo Zarvos, who previously earned acclaim for his scores for The Door in the Floor, Hollywoodland and the TV movie Taking Chance. Read more…
THE GOOD SHEPHERD – Marcelo Zarvos and Bruce Fowler
Original Review by Clark Douglas
I have to tell you, I was really, really looking forward to “The Good Shepherd”. It’s the second time behind the camera for actor/director Robert De Niro, and I loved De Niro’s first film, “A Bronx Tale”. If you haven’t seen it, do so… it’s an immensely moving and remarkably energetic piece of cinema, absolutely wonderful. With “The Good Shepherd”, De Niro has moved from tiny human drama to an epic political drama. In attempting to tell the story of the CIA’s birth, De Niro has put together a great cast, and brings top-notch production values to the proceedings. Unfortunately, he bites off more than he can chew. Read more…
HOLLYWOODLAND – Marcelo Zarvos
Original Review by Clark Douglas
There’s been an awful lot of buzz surrounding “Hollywoodland” in the past month or two, and that’s not so surprising… at a first glance, the film looks like Oscar material. It’s a handsomely crafted movie boasting a cast with a lot of credentials. To top things off, the movie is based on a true story, which somehow always manages to increase the chances of a film during awards season. Given these elements, it is a bit surprising to find that “Hollywoodland”, on the whole, is rather unremarkable. No, it is not a bad film, and I wouldn’t think of advising anyone not to go see it, but at the same time, I can’t really recommend it. Read more…
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