Film Review | Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
The reason why rap is not as respected as Jazz or Blues, one MC muses, is because ‘people don’t understand the language’. Try as director Ice T might, by the time the end credits fall on The Art of Rap, there are still a few things that are lost in translation for those who are not rap aficionados. Still, even if total understanding remains elusive, Ice T’s documentary will certainly leave you with an appreciation of rap, and will particularly please fans of the genre.
Read the rest of this review on Yin & Yang here.
Competition | Win an ‘I am Bruce Lee’ Poster, T-Shirt and DVD
Witness one of the most well-known and respected martial arts legends in all his glory, this July, in the visually thrilling documentary I am Bruce Lee (Fremantle Media). Featuring a host of rare footage and photographs, this compelling documentary examines the fascinating life, continuing influence and lasting legacy of one of the most iconic actors and martial artists of all time. To celebrate the theatrical release of I am Bruce Lee (Fremantle Media) at selected UK cinemas on 20th July and release on DVD and Blu-Ray on 23rd July, we have a host of goodies to give away!
One lucky winner will receive a poster, t-shirt and I Am Bruce Lee on DVD, and the runner-up will get a T-Shirt and the DVD!
Film Review | The Dark Knight Rises
At the beginning of the year, you would be hard pressed to find a ‘most anticipated films of 2012’ list that didn’t feature The Dark Knight Rises. But Batman on film wasn’t always this popular; 1997’s Joel Schumacher directed Batman & Robin is widely regarded as one of the worst comic book movies of all time (and with good reason). Christopher Nolan managed to reinvigorate the franchise with 2005’s Batman Begins. He went one better and set a new benchmark for superhero movies with The Dark Knight in 2008. With The Dark Knight Rises, has Nolan outdone himself again?
Read the rest of this review on Yin & Yang here.
Film Features | A Star is Bourne: The Rise of Jeremy Renner
Jeremy Renner has been acting for a long time, but many – myself included – have only really started to take notice of him in the past few years.
It’s not as if he hadn’t starred in big budget movies up till now; he had played secondary characters proficiently in S.W.A.T. and 28 Days Later. Butsince his breakthrough in 2008 the 41 year old has rapidly ascended the acting ranks with his portrayals of focussed characters, and he is fast solidifying himself as a bona-fide action star.
With the upcoming release of The Bourne Legacy next month, here’s a look at some of his best roles to date.
Read the rest of this article on Hey U Guys here.
Film Trailer | Rise of the Guardians
DreamWorks Animation have released a second full trailer for their epic looking animated adventure Rise of the Guardians (2012), a film based on the children’s books by William Joyce (who also co-wrote the script). Directed by Peter Ramsey in his feature debut, it looks to put an interesting spin on childhood figures like Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Jack Frost and the Easter Bunny, whilst telling a timeless good vs. evil story.
Watch the trailer on CineVue here.
Film Review | Salute
The Olympics have long proven to be an excellent stage for socio-political statements. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, American 200m sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos both raised a black-gloved fist during their medal ceremony to show their support for racial equality. Despite being on the podium that day, Peter Norman’s role in the proceedings have gone largely unknown – hence filmmaker Matt Norman (Norman’s nephew) taking it upon himself to tell Peter’s story with his 2008 doc Salute.
Ably narrated by Chris Kirby, Salute provides its audience with some essential context early on as we learn how Australian liberals were opposing the government’s ‘White Australia’ policy, whilst the big push for civil rights in the US was only emboldened by the assassinations of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and the Kennedys. This is interwoven with some interesting insights into how the three medallists came to love sprinting, all shown in just enough detail using a combination of archive footage and interviews. The socio-political climates in both countries only help to illustrate just how courageous it was for the Olympians to make their ‘black power’ statement at all.
Read the rest of this review on CineVue here.
Film Watch | July
Film Watch is back! We have yet another jam packed month of films for your (our?) viewing pleasure in July, with the releases of acclaimed documentaries, a comedy with an intriguing premise, and an eagerly awaited superhero reboot. Of course, the movie that will likely draw the biggest crowds is a certain conclusion to another superhero franchise (you may have heard of it, it’s about a guy who dresses up like a Bat). Excited yet? Read on for the six films I’m most looking forward to watching this month.
Read the rest of this article on Yin & Yang here.
