Reviews
Losing Joy is a short film about a young woman struggling to acknowledge the first anniversary of her sister’s death. Faith [Michelle Tiwo] is lost in grief until close friend and former girlfriend Olivia [Shanay Neusum-James] guides her into acceptance.
Ahead of the release of his biopic Rebel Dread, we speak to acclaimed videographer, film-maker and DJ Don Letts. Growing up with the ever-present threat of racism, police harassment and violence in London during the 60s and 70s, Letts found himself at the epicentre of the emerging punk movement in the late 1970s. Don Letts was central to the crossover between the rasta and punk scenes, which created something completely new and exciting which has influenced the sound of UK alternative music ever since.
Welcome to March’s film and TV review round-up! February’s review round-up was such a success that we decided to keep the ball rolling. With reviews from writers across the globe, we’ll be bringing you their thoughts and opinions on some of the newest releases.
Let’s get stuck in…
It’s LGBTQ+ Awareness month, so let’s revisit a classic LGBTQ TV series - Channel 4’s coming of age classic Sugar Rush. Amy Watson tells us why she fell in love with it, and why ‘when you're full of teenage angst, questioning and/or experimenting with your sexuality, establishing your sense of style, and dabbling in things you shouldn't, it's very difficult not to’.
Opinion
To many, Batman is more than just his beginnings as a comic book superhero. Batman is not just the preserve of ‘comic book geeks’.
My question is, if these television shows are nothing more than garbage, why do so many of us tune in with eager eyes the minute they are released?
Throughout history, women have been told to sit down, be quiet and keep to yourself. Growing up, we are constantly told that sex is purely an act of procreation, that it’s something females should endure not enjoy. It is normalised to a point that we start looking at female pleasure as something wrong, especially self-pleasure. I mean women like sex – I sure do anyway!
Since Netflix’s breakthrough in 2013 with the debut of its original House of Cards series, many other streaming platforms such as Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video have made it possible for binge-watching to become mainstream.
Talking To
In the aftermath of the London Short Film Festival (LSFF) this January, I sat down with one of its founders, Philip Ilson to speak about what they have achieved. Now coming up to its 20th anniversary festival next year, Ilson has been able to take a look back at what they have achieved over the festival’s lifetime, and consider how this will inform their plans for the future.
TISWAS would probably be pulled off the schedule within one episode nowadays. Ahead of Bristol Ideas and Slapstick Festival’s much anticipated TISWAS: The Reunion, at St Georges Bristol on Saturday 16th April, Slapstick Festival and Bristol Ideas director Andrew Kelly shares his memories of TISWAS, and how it sparked a love of comedy that would last a lifetime.
Bristol Bad Film Club has been ongoing since 2013. Set up by film lover, Ti Singh, each month the club showcases a notoriously bad film (the badder, the better) at Bristol Improv Theatre. With all proceeds going to charity, the film club offers a unique experience - the audience paying a fiver to watch a film about killer bees, a lion mauling Kathy Griffiths or watching Sylvester Stallone’s bodyguard act.
From skipping school to ride horses to making his acting debut in Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant, Shaun Thomas has made name for himself on both the big and small screen. His most recent release is Ali & Ava, a beautiful portrayal of a working-class, modern day love story. His second film with Barnard, Thomas plays Callum, a son to Claire Rushbrooks’ Ava and a young dad himself.
