Friday, March 29Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Tag: Film

Old Dogs, New Tricks: ‘The Intern’ Review.
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Old Dogs, New Tricks: ‘The Intern’ Review.

There are three types of mainstream Hollywood movie. Toss away these silly ideas of ‘genre’ or ‘style’, or this common misconception that there’s an unlimited variety of films, ranging from romantic comedy through to apocalyptic sci-fi – That’s simply wrong. There’s only a mere trio when it comes to the motion picture industry: the good, the bad and the ugly. Good can be judged by how much money it makes - observe Marvel Studios’ achievement in bagging over a billion bucks in a single blockbuster - or the quality of the script - if you didn’t cry when Simba’s father died, your heart is made of stone. Then there’s the bad, which is fairly self-explanatory: 'Battlefield Earth', 'The Last Airbender' and 'Sex Lives of the Potato Men' can call themselves proud honorary members of this elite ...
The DUFF- An interview with Bella Thorne
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The DUFF- An interview with Bella Thorne

On first hearing the premise for The DUFF (which stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend), you might be skeptical. After all, who wants to watch a film that, on first impression, boxes people up into stereotypical categories and judges their value based on their appearance? However, you must be careful not to be guilty of the same with this film. We follow Bianca, the so-called DUFF, as she discovers that she is the “friendly approachable one” guys talk to in order to date her “hot” best friends. Outraged by this, Bianca sets out to reverse-DUFF herself, with the help of the school’s most popular jock Wesley. This film is laugh-out-loud funny, with the banter between Bianca and Wesley both cheeky and heart-warming. Mae Whitman (Bianca) brings so many little idiosyncrasies to her characte...
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Tolkien’s Cinematic Hurrah

It’s slightly past Christmas, and the final Hobbit cash-in has arrived. Sadly, this is it people - Tolkien will never reach the big screen again - but you’d be surprised to hear it’s not because this is the final film in The Hobbit trilogy. Alas, the decision lies with the Tolkien estate. His descendants have claimed they hate this trilogy, and that his stories have been modernised beyond recognition. Adaptation is a cruel business indeed. What of the film itself? Well, Sir Ian McKellan will forever make a superb Gandalf (nothing new there), same goes for Christopher Lee as Saruman. There’s nothing special about the rest of the cast however; Martin Freeman continues to be as Martin-Freeman-ish as he can whilst the rest contribute to a potent display of overarching masculinity. Director ...
Opinion

The Bechdel Test

What is it? The Bechdel test was first introduced in Allison Bechdel’s comic "Dykes to Watch Out For", in a 1985 strip called “The Rule”. In order for a film to pass the Bechdel test it has to meet the following requirements: 1. It has to have at least two women in it 2. Who talk to each other 3. About something besides a man There have been variations to the criteria of the test, for example the female characters have to be named. Think about a movie that you watched recently, or any movie at all. Does it have at least two female characters? Do they have a conversation about something besides a man? Can you try and name more than 3 films that pass the Bechdel test? I actually found it kind of difficult. And that’s where the problem lies. The problem isn’t just about the lack ...
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Rich, Russian & Living in London – A Documentary Review

‘Rich, Russian & Living in London’: a title worthy of Channel 4, but it is, in fact, the name of the BBC’s latest foray into cutting-edge documentary. An account of a selection of wealthy Russian-Londoners, we delve into the depths of a world unseen by, and unknown to most of the population. Those of us who cannot afford rhinestone-encrusted Jaguars or whimsically spend hundreds of thousands on an artwork. It is, in a way, for the majority of the documentary, a sort of fetishisation of a high-life, seemingly without care or consequence. A disgustingly gluttonous display of excess. It is appealing. But it is capitalism on steroids. A reaction against years of suppression and corruption in Russia (although the latter is merely hinted at). They have signed up holus-bolus to th...
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Gone to the Movies – Gone Girl

Having sold over 2 million copies, it is fair to say the adaptation of the book 'Gone Girl' was going to come with a fair bit of anticipation. Similar to Fincher's previous film, 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo', there was plenty of pressure coming from fans of a much beloved book to get this story right. As stylish and brilliantly made as 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' was, it lacked the grit that the story, and the original Swedish adaptation, had that made it so good. There was a sense that Fincher didn’t feel truly passionate about the project, resulting in a stunningly made, if somewhat hollow film. In many ways, 'Gone Girl' is similar, with it failing to scale the heights of Fincher's early masterpieces 'Fight Club', 'Se7en' or 'Zodiac'. However, it seems Fincher has had more fun...
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Basically BFI

It’s October time yet again, and in the English film industry that means one thing: Hollywood is once again coming to London in the guise of the BFI London Film Festival. While not quite holding the same reputation as other festivals such as Cannes, Venice or Sundance, it has still become a core date in the film calendar, and gives the chance for two, or three weeks to see some of Hollywood's biggest stars here in London. This year’s festival opens with a homegrown number - 'The Imitation Game' - starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the famous Alan Turing, meaning anyone around Leicester Square on the 8th has the chance to spot Sherlock Holmes himself, Kiera Knightly, and Royal Holloway alumnus Mark Strong all in the flesh. However, it’s the festivals closing film which will really see Holl...