Archive by Author

What we want to see in 2010…

Leon Weber The noughties have come to an end and we have every reason to be happy. Most importantly, there’s no need to use that non-word ever again, but also, a whole new decade of exciting cinema visits lies ahead of us. Who knows what we will be watching in June 2018? Die Hard 5: [...]

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The name’s Mendes…

Leon Weber As we slowly but surely approach the 23rd James Bond movie, I feel like I have actually been part of this monumental franchise. Unlike with the Die Hard, Alien or Rocky series, I was able to see a significant number of the Bond films on the big screen despite my tender age. I [...]

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The Cage Paradox

Leon Weber Here’s an interesting challenge: name an actor or actress with a spotless resume. Not so easy, eh? In my eyes, the only one who comes even close is John Cazale. All the films he has starred in received Best Picture Oscar nominations, including The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter. Then [...]

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The Roots of Evil

Leon Weber At this year’s Cannes film festival, the controversy surrounding Lars von Trier’s Antichrist came at the expense of Austrian director Michael Haneke, who won the Palme d’Or over von Trier for his latest film, The White Ribbon. Funnily enough, it is the controversy of Haneke’s films that have made him a regular nominee [...]

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Revisiting Mad World

Watching the trailer for the 2010 release The Crazies didn’t spark my interest in the film itself, but it did bring to mind a particular song that is worth revisiting every once in a while. It also taught me a valuable lesson: never underestimate the power of music. But let’s start at the beginning. The [...]

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Halloween II (Dir: Rob Zombie)

Leon Weber Two years after his reboot of the Halloween franchise, rocker-turned-director Rob Zombie delivers a sequel to his vision with Halloween II. Whereas the 2007 film stayed more or less true to the horror film series, he is way off with his newest film which mediates between pure trash and disrespect towards the franchise. [...]

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An open letter to Michael Mann

Leon Weber Dear Mr. Mann, Firstly, I would like to say that I have admired your work for many years. You have created unforgettable cinematic milestones when Manhunter taught us to be afraid of Hannibal Lecter long before The Silence of the Lambs. Or when you united Al Pacino and Robert de Niro for the [...]

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Sorority Row (Dir: Stewart Hendler)

Leon Weber After the horror genre has enjoyed a wave of original ideas and stories over the past years everything finally seems to be getting back to normal; that is, rehashing the same ideas (torture porn, handheld camera, evil child), updating classics from the 70s and 80s (Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine, Nightmare on [...]

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