Category Archives: Reviews

Peter Machen on ‘The Croods’

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

Film: The Croods Country: USA Year of Release: 2013 Director: Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders Screenwriters: John Cleese, Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco Starring the voices of: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman Review: Peter … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on ‘The Last Stand’

Posted on March 10, 2013 by admin

Film: The Last Stand Country: USA Year of Release: 2012 Director: Kim Jee-woon Screenwriters: Andrew Knauer, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, George Nolfi Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Jaimie Alexander, Harry Dean Stanton, Rodrigo Santoro, Johnny Knoxville Review: Peter Machen ♥♥♥  Considering his extraordinarily narrow range, … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on Conversations in Berlin 2013

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

Visiting the Berlin Film Festival for the first time involved a slew of remarkable highlights, not the least of which was the sheer number of world-class filmmakers, writers and actors in attendance. But beyond this, and beyond the vast plethora … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on gender and identity at Berlin 2013

Posted on February 12, 2013 by admin

James Franco has made a highly successful career out of refusing to define himself. The talented actor, who has expanded his activities into writing, directing and an extremely broad take on gender and sexuality, has taken on a diverse and … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on Rotterdam 2013

Posted on January 30, 2013 by admin

I’ve written before in this column in defense of slow film, talking specifically about the need for surrender when we engage with art that is produced at a different pace and rhythm to that of our accelerated lives. But the … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on ‘Django Unchained’

Posted on January 18, 2013 by admin

Film: Django Unchained Country: USA Year of Release: 2012 Director: Quentin Tarantino Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jacson, Kerry Washington Review: Peter Machen ♥♥♥  There’s a moment in Django Unchained, the latest movie from Quentin Tarantino, when Dr … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’

Posted on January 4, 2013 by admin

Film: The Perks of Being a Wallflower Country: USA Year of Release: 2012 Director: Stephen Chbosky Screenwriter: Stephen Chbosky Starring: Logan Lerman, Dylan McDermott, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd Review: Peter Machen ♥♥♥ The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a charming, if somewhat uneven, coming-of-age … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on ‘Adventures in Zambezia’

Posted on December 26, 2012 by admin

Film: Adventures in Zambezia Country: South Africa Year of Release: 2012 Director: Wayne Thornley Screenwriters: Camilla Bubna-Kasteliz, Andrew Cook, Raffaella Delle Donne and others Starring the voices of: Samuel L Jackson, Jeremy Suarez, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Richard E Grant, Abigail Breslin Review: … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on the Best of 2012

Posted on December 21, 2012 by admin

Whether 2012 was a reasonable year for cinema or an appalling one, depended largely on whether you watched films on an increasingly hollow mainstream circuit, or, like so many serious film fans, restricted your viewing to festivals, DVDs and the … Continue reading →

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Peter Machen on ‘Angel’s Share’

Posted on November 30, 2012 by admin

Film: Angel’s Share Country: UK/France/Belgium/Italy Year of Release: 2012 Director: Ken Loach Screenwriter: Paul Laverty Starring: Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw and Gary Maitland Review: Peter ♥♥♥½ Angel’s Share, the latest film from stridently independent British filmmaker Ken Loach is an unusually sprightly affair from one of … Continue reading →

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