Next Week

There’s a lot going on in the world of movies, and sometimes sifting through the mass for what to go out and see and what to buy on DVD can be a challenge so here, for the UK and US, are some recommended releases and, when applicable, reissues and festival news. I’ve also included a movie link of the week and a quick summary of what to expect next week at 24FPS.

UK DVD

Cracks: A strong debut from Jordan (daughter of Ridley) Scott. It’s beautifully shot, pitched halfway between Sofia Coppola’s work and Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s hypnotic Innocence, and boasts fine performances from Eva Green and rising stars Juno Temple and Maria Valverde.

Unmade Beds: I haven’t seen this yet, but anything with the luminous Deborah Francois in it has my attention, and probably ought to have yours too.


US DVD

An Education: Carey Mulligan’s star making performance is a good reason to see this film, but personally I’m hoping that, on DVD, Rosamund Pike’s wonderful, hilarious, supporting performance will get the notice it deserved.

Sherlock Holmes: Holy shit! It’s a good Guy Ritchie film!


UK THEATRICAL RELEASE

Kick Ass: As previously discussed, this brilliantly anarchic superhero movie is, improbably, even better than you’ve heard. And Hit Girl is the single most entertaining thing you’ll see in a cinema this year. SEE IT NOW.

Psycho: A Classic in Context [Week 1]
The start of a month long season at BFI Southbank, pairing a remastered digital print of Psycho with films that anticipated it, influenced it and have drawn on its legacy. This week the season includes Les Diaboliques, M, Peeping Tom, and Repulsion, among others.


LINK OF THE WEEK
Indie Movies Online
Clicking the link will take you to an 8 page list of free movies that you can watch, completely legally, online. The streams are excellent, with no buffering time required and a ‘low quality’ version which offers near DVD quality visuals. What really makes the site though is the selection of films, here are just a few titles (of the very few that I’ve already seen) I’d recommend.


The Cement Garden: Based on an Ian McEwan novel, and with a brilliant performance by a young Charlotte Gainsbourg

The Stepfather: A still rather underseen and underrated classic of 80’s horror.

Frostbite: A highly entertaining Swedish vampire movie, well worth discovering now that Sweden, since Let the Right One In and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, is being noticed again as a centre of filmmaking.

The Last Great Wilderness: A very odd debut from Scottish director David MacKenzie. Listed here as a comedy, it put me more in mind of The Wicker Man.


NEXT WEEK @ 24FPS

Reviews of, among others, The Scouting Book For Boys and XXY director Lucia Puenzo’s new film The Fish Child. The BBFC Report, along with more reviews From the Archives and new instalments of Five… and Spotlight.