Author John Townsend

My interest in film originated from the excited anticipation of waiting to find out which new film would be shown on television as the Christmas Day premiere, which probably says more about my age than I would like! I am a lover of all things cinematic with a particular interest in horror and began writing and reviewing as an excuse to view and discuss as many films as possible, with as many people as possible.

Reviews Screen Shot 2015-02-02 at 7.08.24 PM
8.0
0

When X-Men Origins: Wolverine opened in 2009 to mainly negative critical reviews and legions of disappointed fans you could understand why further planned origin tales might be shelved. If the most popular and charismatic of all the X-Men can’t deliver box office success and satisfy a demanding pubic then what hope for the rest? The plan: bring in a …

Film Festival 106685
6.0
0

Family and homecoming have always been strong, well used themes for Greek filmmakers and Maria Douza has drawn on these for her debut feature film. A Place Called Home, or The Tree And The Swing to give it its original title, is a character piece that offers a more contemporary slant while remaining true to its traditional …

Film Festival 1389736103252
6.0
0

Fasten Your Seatbelts is billed as a comedy / drama, or “dramedy”, a sub-genre that seems to crop up increasingly often. For the majority of the film this is certainly the case as two inherently oppositely inclined people are unavoidably drawn to each other by a mutual attraction that neither understand or initially wants…

Film Festival 459476659_1280x720
5.0
30

There is a stark contradiction at the heart of Raffaele Mosca’s documentary showcasing the heavy rock movement in Africa. Whether that contradiction is intentional or not is more difficult to ascertain as the tone of the film switches from admirable respect to sad judgement on more than one occasion.

Film Festival Johnny_Winter_Studio
8.5
53

Discovering exciting music or a new artist through a documentary can be a hugely exciting experience, but can also give a feeling of being patronised somewhat. Some films carry a lecturing tone, almost challenging the viewer to explain why they haven’t been a fan of this or that music for their entire lives. What have you been …

Reviews Housebound-2014-movie-pic2
8.0
274

Housebound from writer/director Gerard Johnstone is a curious, yet impressive film full of odd, extravagantly written characters and joyful exuberance drawn from a clever combination of frights and blackly comedic moments. There are minor flaws, but there is enough goodwill generated through the film that these are …

Reviews Dracula-Untold-Wallpapers
5.0
27

In recent years Universal Pictures must surely have been casting envious glances across the Hollywood lot toward Marvel, and to a lesser extent DC, following the astronomical success of their franchises. As they inevitably rummaged around down the back of their sofa they found a series of characters that could …

Reviews PHOTOESSAY_SPR14_Rushin1
7.5
39

There are directors who convey their stylistic vision to the screen with such single-mindedness that as a viewer you are almost predisposed to like or dislike the finished film prior to actually experiencing it; the key element being experience. Terry Gilliam is one such filmmaker, a creative force of such striking aesthetic …

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