Amat Escalante the writer and director of Heli

April 22, 2014April 30, 2018 / katyvans / Leave a comment

Amat Escalante the writer and director of Heli (released May 23rd) managed to find some time in his hectic promotion schedule to speak to me about his latest project.

Amat, since you finished the film (Heli) how many times have you watched it?

Completely from beginning to end, maybe 2 or 3 times

Are there any scenes you find difficult to watch?

For me it is very personal why I wouldn’t like to watch a scene; usually because it doesn’t come out how I wanted, maybe I wasn’t able to achieve something or I saw some defect. Continue reading →

Joe

April 9, 2014February 5, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

Based on a novel this is a film about a middle aged ex-con Joe (Nicolas Cage) who tries to give young kid, Gary (Tye Sheridan) a chance to escape his upbringing and choose a better path; but Joe’s personal demons are never far from the surface. Continue reading →

The Policeman’s Wife

March 5, 2014February 5, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

Over 3 long hours we watch the story of love going wrong. A policeman and his wife and their daughter play out the scenes of domestic violence and abuse interspersed with love and happier tender moments. Continue reading →

Teenage

October 31, 2013February 4, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

At just 78 minutes this film fair flies by; it sets such a glorious pace that you are whirled through the first half of the 20^th century with barely time to blink before writer/director Matt Wolf grabs your hand and spins you around once more. Continue reading →

Only Lovers Left Alive

October 30, 2013February 4, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

If there was some way to watch this film without knowing that the main characters were vampires before you went into the cinema the first 20 minutes would have been more enjoyable (although they would have been more enjoyable if the cinema staff at the Odeon West End hadn’t kept letting latecomers into the screening…). The amount of teenage girls in the audience made me cringe but make no mistake, this is no Twilight. Continue reading →

The Borderlands Q&A

October 2, 2013April 30, 2018 / katyvans / Leave a comment

The Borderlands is a low budget UK indie comedy horror set in the West Country. It marks the first foray into film production by the distributor Metrodome and is set to make its mark worldwide. I was lucky enough to do an interweb Q&A with its writer/director Elliot Goldner and producer Jennifer Handorf. Continue reading →

What Doesn’t Kill You

September 26, 2013February 4, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

Why it has taken 5 years to reach us on DVD is a mystery as I have seen far worse offerings get distribution in a more timely fashion. This is a tale of 2 childhood friends Brian Reilly and Paulie McDougan who are more like brothers, who through difficult circumstances turn to a life of crime and grow up Goodfellas style into hoods for the local crime boss. Continue reading →

Museum Hours

August 29, 2013February 4, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

This is a film about how art reflects life, no hang on, it is a film about how we are affected by art, no wait, and it is a film about the kindness of strangers. To be honest this film is deliberately and delightfully open to many interpretations. Continue reading →

Only God Forgives

August 1, 2013February 12, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

I didn’t read any reviews of this film when it was released in the cinema. I knew from past experience with Winding Refn and Gosling (Drive) that this would be a massively divisive film and I didn’t want any preconceived feelings about it. Continue reading →

The Spectacular Now OST

July 6, 2013February 6, 2015 / katyvans / Leave a comment

The Spectacular Now is about Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), a high school senior and effortless charmer, and of how he unexpectedly falls in love with “the good girl” Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley). Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer) it is described as “a vivid, three-dimensional portrait of youth confronting the thrilling and perilous business od modern love and adulthood” – whimsy in other words. Continue reading →