darren shan

I enjoyed the new Mad Max film. It did justice to the first three films, while at the same time managing to add enough new elements to the mix to justify its own existence -- no small achievement! Tom Hardy didn't bring quite the same gravitas to the role as Mel Gibson did, and I would have preferred to see the aging actor in the role, which I think could have made it more moving when Max is suffering nightmarish visions of his dead wife and child -- that's the trouble with a reboot that doesn't ignore the previous films, in squaring away the new cast with what has gone before. But, all things considered, it didn't disappoint, and I suspect it's one that might be even better second time round, when there's a chance to take in more of the secondary characters and the visuals. 8/10.

This tour documentary about the former lead man of Taking Heads is an interesting look at an eternally recreative spirit. Sure, you could be negative and say it's no Stop Making Sense, but then name me one other concert film of the last 25 years that stands up to that seminal movie? What this captures is one of modern music's most interesting creators heading into his twilight years as a public performer. I've followed David Byrne's career all the way from Talking Heads, and while he only rarely comes up with songs that can match his heyday output, he continues to be a fascinating musician, constantly pushing himself and trying new approaches. I saw him live on the tour which this film documents, and while it wasn't my favourite show of his, I liked that he was experimenting, incorporating dance routines into the fabric of the performance. This isn't a Rolling Stones-type showman, who simply trots out decades-old hits that the fans are going to mindlessly lap up. At the same time he's not a Bob Dylan-style crank either, mangling his classics and disconnecting himself from his audience. Instead Byrne throws in the olden goldies in an enjoyable way, but also offers up new material, in a crowd-pleasing and envelope-pushing combination. This film won't make you get up and dance in the aisles the way Stop Making Sense did, but it's a nice reminder that some artists CAN grow old gracefully and continue to be a meaningful presence in their field.

This is a documentary about the making of Poultrygeist, one of the better Troma offerings. The film was gory, immoral fun, poking fun at everything from fast food chains to the Taliban. You'd have thought that it would have been a hoot to shoot, but this look behind the scenes reveals a world of friction and arguments, with just about everyone driven to fury, tears and sometimes out and out violence!! It all starts promisingly, with the cast and crew volunteering to come work on the film, many giving their time and efforts for free, out of love of Troma and because they think it will be a blast. We see some amusing rehearsal scenes, where everyone is having a great time. But when the cameras start to roll, things quickly descend into tragedy and farce. The director annoys just about everyone he comes in contact with. They fall behind schedule from day one. Scenes have to to be sliced from the script because there isn't time to shoot them. Actors are left covered in horrible, uncomfortable makeup for 10 or 12 hours and then told they aren't needed for shooting that day. Kaufman decides to film an unscripted dance scene at a time when they're struggling to wrap the movie, as a result of which pretty much all of the intended fight scenes have to be scrapped -- not much fun for the guy who'd spent weeks preparing the cast for the fights!! Most behind the scenes docs like this paint the movie world as a fun, rewarding place, where everyone gets on, everyone loves the scripts, everyone adores the director. You might have to work hard, sure, but your efforts are appreciated and you come away having grown as a person and feeling much better about yourself. This strips all of that BS away and shows it like it really is. Poultrygeist was a bloody slab of fun, enjoyable but throwaway. This, on the other hand, is essential viewing. Worth buying the double disc DVD of the feature if just to see this extra.