The first and so far only documentary to win the Palm D’Or is as much a propaganda piece as it is a documentary. Moore sets out to dissuade voters in the 2004 US Presidential election from voting for incumbent President Bush. Not a pro-Kerry piece by any means, just an anti-Bush film that as reviled as it is in conservative circles, stands up to rigorous fact checking. Not as powerful now as it was 9 years ago (especially since Bush won re-election), but still some great filmmaking.

The Bard’s plays are taught the world over on educational syllabuses and academics spend their lives dedicated to the study of his works. Due to the constant popularity of Shakespeare’s works, there are theatre productions appearing in many transitional forms. The same can be said for the films that take their basic narrative structures from Shakespeare’s plotlines, but offer contemporary social issues and settings as their focus (10 Things I Hate About You). A common format of adaptation is a mixture of the original play script within a contemporary environment (As You Like It), using the language as it was first written. This is often almost compensated for by lavish sets and opulent drama styles (Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet). We’re now used to event screenings, such as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s upcoming production of Richard the Third starring David Tennant, being beamed into local cinemas offers an entirely new perspective on adapting for the screen. Here a live or recorded from live viewing of the play performed on stage is what we’re watching in the cinema, not necessarily a feature film as such. I’ve no doubt that Shakespeare’s works will continue to be adapted for film for years to come, but so far as those already released are concern, these make my top ten.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the latest in a long string of high-profile actors to opt for working behind the camera instead of in front of it, with his scriptural and directorial debut Don Jon hitting theatres September 27^th. Ryan Gosling, currently working on his own project of the same nature, will shortly join him in the transition from actor to writer/director in 2014 with his offering, How To Catch a Monster. With Ben Affleck’s recent success at the 2013 Academy Awards, the road from actor to director is without a doubt a rocky one, but with rewards aplenty at the end when done right.

With You’re Next finally getting released, it’s best to look at the subgenre that it’s a part of. After two years of sitting on a shelf at Lionsgate during a merge, You’re Next has patiently waited to come out to deconstruct the home invasion horror. Sitting around for two years though has caused some problems. Since then, studios have tried to capitalise on its success at Toronto International Film Festival by hiring people to write a similar film. If you even look at Twitter, there are a few accusatory tweets at it because of The Purge, which has caused (ignorant) people to declare their disdain for You’re Next for copying The Purge, even though it’s two years its senior. There was even a slight script slip where a group of filmmakers may or may not have tried to copy the film identically but failed.