Critically acclaimed and highly original Greek drama ATTENBERG comes to UK cinemas on 2nd September.

Attenberg is a film so far into left field that it will make you question what exactly it is you’re watching if I’m honest. Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, this Greek production captures a world possibly on the brink of some kind of emotional and financial meltdown.

Greek film has long been dominated by the colossal figure of Theo Angelopoulos who’s astounding travelogue dramas took in the entire landscape of the country and more.Attenberg is the total opposite of these films as it not only located itself in one town but it’s a part of Greece you’ve never seen before. This alone points to Tsangari wanting the break with the past and possibly create a whole new expression in Greek cinema.

Attenberg follows the withdrawn Marina who finds any kind of human contact very hard to deal with at the best of time. She’s close to her terminally ill father and has a very strange friendship with Bella who seems like she could be trouble. Her interests stretch no further than the music of Suicide and the nature documentaries of David Attenborough; no doubt the weirdest place he’ll ever turn up.

Watching the film now the current financial state of Greece does come to mind very quickly as a possible motivating factor for Tsangari. The world recession has created headlines in all four corners of the globe but the scenes on the streets of Athens have been as striking as any others captured. Greece for people on the UK is a sunny paradise you visit to relax and enjoy, with wonderfully laid back people. The devastating public sector cuts imposed by the government have transformed Greece into a desperate nation that is barely holding itself together. This is possibly something you can see in Marina and her world which seems somewhat rudderless to say the least.

Political turmoil in Europe in the 1960’s led to many films then deemed controversial. Daises was banned in Czechoslovakia for a decade after its original release in 1966. The film follows two girls that simply act as they please as a growing sense of revolution swept across the world. Whilst watching Attenberg I was reminded of Daises especially during the opening scene that will surely make anyone feel somewhat uncomfortable. Attenberg captures a feeling of distance and uncertainty that perfectly embodies the modern world. People are retreating deeper into their homes to communicate and exist via technology. This self imposed distance is now coupled with an uncertain economic future that presents people with more time but very little to actually do with it.

Director Athina Rachel Tsangari has said that her aim was to observe Marina in the same style as David Attenborough observes his subjects. Attenberg does have a ‘looking in’ aspect that suggests that Tsangari has achieved her aim. The world that Attenborough usually captures is somewhat brutal to say the least and this as well may be linked. The cold confused world inhabited by Marina isn’t far removed from nature itself as things get down to the basics of survival.

Attenberg is a very hard film to recommend other than saying it’s a unique experience no matter what you’ve already seen. This may possibly be the first of a new film movement that chooses to challenge the ongoing trauma being suffered by normal people around the world today. Tsangari has said that she now intends to stay on in Greece having lived outside for over 15 years. She recently stated “This is the situation and somehow we have to fix it now, and cinema is a great way to do that. I’m not saying I’m going to make a film about the riots – I don’t want to be that literal – but Greece is an unknown country, even to its citizens, and I want to discover it for myself.” Pointing to a possible new cinema that will investigate and discover the new world constructed out of the near ruin of the one we inhabit today. Attenberg is a strange film that will elicit very different reactions from those brave enough to enter the new world of Athina Rachel Tsangari, see it if you dare.

Aled Jones

Check out the stunning trailer below

Julia’s Eyes is the new thriller by Guillem Morales which also features Guillermo del Toro as a producer for the second time after the success of The Orphanage. The return of del Toro will undoubtedly help push this film to an international audience but Julia’s Eyes has enough going for it to stand on its own two feet.

The narrative follows Julia who suffers from a degenerative eye disease that gets worse under stressful situations. Julia also has a sister that has the same condition and the film opens with Sara seemingly being tormented in her own home by an unseen assailant. Sara has recently gone blind and now seems terrified in her own dark house. She decides to go down to the cellar to hang herself but as she senses her tormentor decides not to give him the satisfaction. Sadly the stool she’s standing on is kicked away and Sara chokes to death, miles away Julia collapses as she senses something is wrong with her sister. On finding the body Sara decides to solve the mystery of her sister’s apparent suicide only to have her eye condition deteriorate due to the stress.

Julia’s Eyes is a dark thriller that leans heavily on the former masterpieces of the king of suspense Alfred Hitchcock. As the second half of the film unfolds you may also re-call the Audrey Hepburn thriller Wait Until Dark which has a recently blinded Hepburn terrorized in her own house. Julia’s Eyes makes no bones about harking back to a classic era of film but does throw a little bit of Halloween style gore in the mix for good measure.

Guillem Morales direction is sure handed to say the least as he builds up the mystery and tension remarkably well. Avid watchers of suspense thrillers may work out who the bad guy is quicker than you’d like but the film does have a few surprises up its sleeve. The criticisms that can undoubtedly be leveled at the film are twofold. The running time at 110 minutes is excessive to say the least; the film simply doesn’t have the narrative engine to sustain that length. The second complaint is linked to the first and that is the endless false endings all of which re-call another Hitchcock film. Any criticisms leveled at the film are down to the maker’s obvious love of Hitchcock and sadly they decided to throw one too many homage’s into the mix.

On the up-side the photography, locations and performances are all very strong which does make the film engaging to the last. The sequence when Julia and her husband Isaac follow the sister’s trail to a hotel she stayed at before her death is possibly the highlight of the film. The town and hotel used are reminiscent of such genre classics as Don’t Look Now. They possess a classic timeless look that make you think they have possibly stepped back in time. This type of location that you haven’t seen in countless other Spanish film simply raises the uncertain feeling for the audience, which is perfect.

Morales shooting style is also a massive plus for the film as he attempts to place the audience on a par with Julia and her failing eye-sight. Naturally this follows closely the Hitchcock classic Rear Window who places the audience and James Stewart in the same physical space for the entire film. The second half of the film that settles at Sara’s house follows the Hitchcock template for the most part and is undoubtedly effective. The use of nocturnal exteriors is also well managed as he mixes a dream like tranquility for the seduction scene with a rain drenched nightmare for the pursuit sequence.

Re-calling the previous del Toro produced The Orphanage, Julia’s Eyes is a female driven thriller that does deliver on so many levels but falls short of the quality of the previous film. Had the makers simply cut two of the false endings out and reduces the running time to around 95 minutes the film would be so much better. Sometimes less in undoubtedly more and this is the Achilles heel for Julia’s Eyes. Well worth a look without a doubt but it’s a slightly uneven ride on the whole.

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray from the 12th of September.

Aled Ll Jones

Check out the Trailer for Julia’s Eyes below.

After making his indelible mark with his feature debut I KILLED MY MOTHER (15) at the tender age of 19, Xavier Dolan followed it up with the breathtakingly beautiful exposé of modern day friendship, sexuality and seduction, HEARTBEATS (15). Both titles are available to buy from Network Releasing on 12th September 2011.

I KILLED MY MOTHER (15)
Dolan announced his arrival as a hugely talented writer, actor and director with this complex, turbulent expose of the relationship between a mother and her son. Teenager Hubert is torn between his affection and contempt for his single mum and her ways. Amidst the shadow of his love/hate feelings for his parents and their ways, he is also discovering the mysteries of adolescence and his own sexuality. The strong passion between the mother and son unfolds as a compelling combination of savage fury and melting affection.

Xavier Dolan’s astounding debut received an 8-minute standing ovation when it premiered in Cannes 2009, it has also won various awards including Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and C.I.C.A.E. award.

HEARTBEATS (15)

“Jules et Jim” meets “The Dreamers” in the follow-up to Dolan’s directorial debut I Killed My Mother explores the complex relationship between three hip French Canadian teenagers. Francis (Xavier Dolan) and Marie (Monia Chokri) are close friends. The tight bond that they take comfortably for granted is severely tested when during lunch one day, they meet Nicolas (Niels Schneider), a new arrival in town from the country. As a beautiful young man, Nicolas becomes the object of desire for both Francis and Marie. As they slide further into their obsessive fantasies, the trusted friendship between Francis and Marie begins to crack under the pressure of competing for the affection of the new kid on the block.

In turns humorous, profound and seductive, HEARTBEATS further cements Xavier Dolan’s standing as a young, gifted auteur.

Release Date for both titles: 12th September 2011

Finally this week I got a chance to speak to the amazing Susan Jacobson about her first feature film The Holding. A British thriller set on an isolated farm it will have its much anticipated world premiere at FrightFest in London this coming Friday on the main Scream. We talk about all things western influenced and her passion for the Thriller genre. More

Another day and another Interview with a Director with a premiere screening at this year’s FrightFest film festival in London. I had a chance to have a quick chat with Christopher Crow about Panic Button showing at the festival, his first feature film Devil’s Bridge, and his plans for Abertoir Film Festival in Aberystwyth. Read More

Thinkjam and Optimum Releasing are excited to announce that Joe Cornish’s critically acclaimed debut film Attack the Block will be invading homes on Blu-ray and DVD on September 19th. The film stars the likes of Nick Frost, Luke Treadaway and Jodie Whittaker and is executive produced by Edgar Wright.

Set on a council estate in South London on Bonfire night, the film follows street gangs which have to defend themselves from rowdy alien invaders. A modern cult classic in the making this films mixes urban realism with monsters from outer space.

FrightFest is now only days away so over here at the Cult Film Forum we will be warming up with a new interview with a director every day. Today we talk to Dan Turner the director of the supernatural horror thriller Stormhouse which will be showing on the Discovery Screen this coming Friday. 

Read More

“TIMELY, TERRIFYING AND TERRIFIC!” – ALAN JONES, FRIGHTFEST.

From Raphael Rocher (producer of the acclaimed French zombie shocker “The Horde”) and first-time feature director Olivier Abbou comes Territories, a chilling and twisted thriller that literally brings home the horrors of Guantanamo Bay-style detainment facilities for a small group of unfortunate US citizens.

What starts as an apparently routine border check for five friends – Jalil, Leslie, Michelle, Gab and Tom – driving home to the US from a wedding in Canada quickly descends into the realm of nightmares when a small amount of pot is found in their car. The fact that they are driving with a broken headlight after colliding with a deer further up the road doesn’t make things any better. But it is the two suspicious officers keen interest in Jalil’s background that results in the group being arrested, blindfolded and dragged off to a makeshift prison camp in the heart of the forest.

Incarcerated in small cages, the innocent victims are subjected to humiliation and psychological and physical torture as the two officers – in reality a pair of crazy ex-servicemen with seriously deranged patriotic concerns – do what they believe is their duty in keeping their country safe from intruders.

Superb performances from a cast that includes Roc LaFortune (Beastly; I’m Not There), Sean Devine (The 4400), Nicole Leroux (The Core) and Caroline Redekopp (Trick ‘r Treat), along with impressive gore effects by special make-up artist C.J. Goldman (Conan The Barbarian; Orphan; 300) and coldly effective cinematography by Karim Hussain (Hobo With A Shotgun) combine to make Territories a shocking, controversial and utterly compelling entry in the “survival horror” genre.

Territories (cert. 18) will be released on DVD by Arrow Films on 12th September 2011.

Odeon continue with their release schedule of classic American and British cult titles in September. Having released epic titles such as Howard Hawks’ The Big Sky, Robert Wise’s The Set-Up and Jacques Tourneur Experiment Perilous in August they have now just announced their September line-up.

Highlights include one of Rene Clair’s few American titles It Happened Tomorrow, RKO melodrama Christopher Strong featuring a young spirited Katherine Hepburn and Douglas Sirk’s Scandal in Paris starring the legendary George Sanders.

The British collection in September contains three cult epics that finally get a UK release on DVD. Golden Salamander is an exotic British thriller starring the ever amazing Trevor Howard. Tigon produced shocker The Beast in the Cellar starring Beryl Reid and Flora Robson.

The highlight though comes in the shape of another Tigon classic The Body Stealers which features Sanders again tracking down aliens who are stealing British paratroopers.