The grandfather of loony toons

Fantasmagorie (1908)

Directed by Emile Cohl this is an animated short film. A stick figure morphs through various objects in a bizarre stream of thought.

There is pretty much no narrative here at all but the humour and slightly surreal nature of the film really fit with the much later style of Bugs Bunny cartoons for example. The animation style is very simplistic but fits it's purpose even if it seems rudimentary. For it's short run time this is an enjoyable distraction that will likely raise a smile if not much more.

3/5

Never take an RV to Texas

Race with the Devil (1975)

Directed by Jack Starrett this film stars Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker. Two couples on an RV holiday together in rural Texas witness a murder and get chased by Satanists.

This is a pretty bare bones story that is little more than an attempt to cash in on the Satanist scare of the 1970s. Character is pretty much an after thought when it comes to the script which is more action than suspense or tension. At times it seems the film is made pretty cheaply and is very clearly a B movie.

2/5

Simplistic solidarity

Pride (2014)

Directed by Matthew Warchus this film based on real events stars Ben Schnetzer, Joe Gilgun, George Mackay, Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton. During the 1984 miners strike in the UK a group of gay and lesbian activists raise money to help the miners.

As much as this is an interesting story about solidarity of causes much of the film does raise eyebrows at the historical accuracy as the film features many cliches and genre tropes. Some of the humour is too obvious and the film just a little too safe when creating a simplistic feel good piece rather than going deeply into some serious issues that are covered. There are some really good performances from the cast but at times the is a bit too much of a self congratulatory puff piece for my taste which is a real shame.

3/5

Not so extraordinary

Extraordinary Illusions (1901)

Directed by George Melies this short film is also known as “Dislocation Mysterieuse” or “Dislocation Extraordinary”. A clown performs tricking involving his limbs and head being detachable.

Compared to some of the other camera magic tricks I've seen from Melies this is not the best but for it's short run time it's pretty entertaining. Some of the editing is a little jumpy and you can see how this one is done very easily. While this may not be the directors best work you can see how it was a start on the path to his better stuff.

2/5

If you go down to the Norwegian woods today...

Trollhunter (2010)

Directed by Andre Overdal this film stars Otto Jespersen, Hans Morten Hansen, Tomas Alf Larsen and Johanna Morck. Three Norwegian students making a film about an alleged bear poacher discover he is actually a government sanctioned troll hunter.

Unusually blending found footage and fairy tale this film is surprisingly interesting voyage into Norwegian folk tales and wild life management issues. Some of the content may go over the heads of us non-Norwegians but apart from one or two moments this is a really well constructed piece. The CGI holds up well and the plot rattles along at a decent pace.

4/5

Aryan idiocy

Supremacy (2014)

Directed by Deon Taylor this film inspired by real events stars Joe Anderson, Danny Glover, Dawn Olivieri and Evan Ross. On the day of his release from prison a member of the Aryan Brotherhood is picked up by a gang groupie, shoots a cop and takes a black family hostage.

There is a pretty interesting set up here but the film never really goes anywhere or explores the characters in any depth. What could be a tense face off is kind of bland in the end and a bit of a disappointment. The lead actors do a decent job but there is not a lot to work with really.

2/5

Summer lovin'

Stranger by the Lake (2013)

Directed by Alain Guiraudie this film stars Pierre Deladonchamps, Christope Paou and Patrick d'Assumcao. A man that regularly visits a gay cruising spot by a lake in the summer begins a relationship with a man he thinks killed his predecessor.

This is a slow burning story that seems to serve as a criticism of the anonymous and dangerous nature of the cruising scene. Desire and lust over come common sense in what becomes a really taut but low key thriller. I really enjoyed how claustrophobic the film feels despite being shot entirely outside at a lake.

4/5