Film Hick: 88 Minutes (2008)

Directed by: Jon Avnet. Cast: Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, William Forsythe, Deborah Kara Unger. Rated: R. Running Time: 108 minutes.
It seems like a topsy turvy world where an Al Pacino movie doesn’t make the grade, but I have to say that this was the case with 88 Minutes. I can’t in all conscience [...]

Film Hick: Stop Loss (2008)

Directed by: Kimberly Peirce. Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rob Brown, Channing Tatum,    Victor Rasuk. Rated: R. Running Time: 112 Mins.
I have to admit that before this film I was totally unaware of the whole idea of Stop-Loss, where the US Army can extend a soldier’s time in the war thanks to a little loophole [...]

Film Hick: Body Of War (2007) by Phil Donahue Ellen Spiro

Directed by: Phil Donahue, Ellen Spiro. Rated: Unrated. Running Time: 87 Mins.
This is the story of Tomas Young, a veteran who was paralysed by a bullet to the spine during the war in Iraq. It takes us through his coming to terms with his condition whilst presenting a critical look at how the war has [...]

Film Hick: Kurt Cobain – About A Son (2006)

Directed by: AJ Schnack. Rated: 15. Running Time: 96 Mins.
I would think that one thing you would want to ask yourself about a project that you were embarking upon would be what form does this need to take? Namely, is it a book, a piece of music, or should it be a film? I suppose [...]

Film Hick: This Is England (2007) by Shane Meadows

Directed by: Shane Meadows. Starring: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Joseph Gilgun. Rated: 18. Running Time: 101 Mins.
I’m sure there are other British directors out there doing sterling work; in fact I know there are, but are there any who are exactly like Shane Meadows? Or, rather are there any [...]

Film Hick: The Happening (2008)

Directed by: M Night Shyamalan. Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo. Rated: R. Running Time: 91 Mins.
This is a short film but by the end of it I felt robbed of every second I wasted on it. I loved The Sixth Sense; I thought Unbreakable was great; even Signs was tolerable though by no [...]

Comicsphere: Hellboy

It remains for me and a lot of people, including Mike Mignola the creator of Hellboy, the preserve of the comic books which spawned him to explore the true nature and depths of the character. I think my first exposure was The Chained Coffin & Other Stories and the whole style of both the artwork [...]

People Watching: Valerie Solanas

Of the people who went in and out of the doors of The Factory she stands out perhaps most of all. Why? Because she is the woman who shot Andy Warhol. Which bring me neatly to how I heard of her — the film I Shot Andy Warhol. That film was a great portrayal of [...]

Take Art: Jean Michel Basquiat

The film by Julian Schnabel delivered the tragic yet charming story of Basquiat to me before I found it, which I eventually would have through my exploration of Warhol and the world of The Factory.
His art is unlike anything else that I have seen before or since — it has a musical quality to [...]

Ranthead: Star Wars Raped My Childhood

Have I anywhere publicly expressed my loathing for Star Wars? I am not sure that I have. I feel the urge to do so now. Why? Because my children have the Star Wars Lego computer game and the sound of R2D2 screaming like he is being introduced to twelve inches of wookie meat is driving [...]