THE DEAD and my Irish hat-trick

I've been in Cork for a couple of days straight after my marathon session at the EIFF. Now despite the fact that I've been to Ireland many, many times (by my reckoning this was visit number 16 despite my first trip being only a little over three and a half years ago) this was the first time I'd ever been there on matters entirely unrelated to films.

But I just couldn't help myself.

Wandering the streets of the rebel city, I did exactly as expected (trip through the market, ate too much food, drank too much coffee) however the cinema-loving fates must have smiled upon me as I discovered that the Kino were showing John Huston's THE DEAD at precisely the right time for me to head off to the airport afterwards. Couldn't resist!

I think this must be some kind of record for me. There may be one or two other feature-length films that I've seen this many times in the cinema (BRIEF ENCOUNTER and THE WICKER MAN spring to mind) but this must surely be the only such film I've managed to see (as well as DVD viewing) in three different cinemas. Heck, three different countries really, since my prior viewings were in the NFT in London and the Filmhouse in Edinburgh. Definitely a personal best of some description.

You may have guessed I'm fond of this film. It's odd though, when I first saw it I liked it but didn't really think it was anything special. It stayed with me though, to the point where I had to watch it again and now it seems better every time I watch it.

In case you don't know, Huston adapted this film from the story of the same name which features in James Joyce's collection of short stories "Dubliners". The story, when oversimplified by me, comes down to this: a group of wealthy Dubliners in 1904 gather for a seasonal meal where they discuss the issues of the day, until right at the end of the evening a chance rendition of an Irish song triggers an emotional bombshell that tears through the previous pretence and sets up a heartbreaking tale of lost love.

And that's how Huston's film unfolds. For most of its running time it's an amiable if unremarkable collection of anecdotes, debates, poems and songs. But then the end arrives and in contrast to what has gone before the eruption of emotion is powerful stuff, and from then on (and again with repeated viewings) sadness just seems to tint every frame of the film.

The reasons for the air of melancholy are numerous. For starters there is the obvious power of Joyce's prose, much of which is kept in place for the finale by Huston; the beautiful score by Alex North is haunting; there's something about snow falling that always lends an extra something to movies; and of course, there are the performances of Angelica Huston and Donal McCann.

With both actors at the top of their game - Huston delivering the heartbreaking story of her former love, McCann realising that he has never known such a feeling - it's a cold, cold heart that isn't moved by the closing scenes of the film.

THE DEAD is currently working its way round the arthouse cinemas of Ireland and will also be screened next month at the Galway Film Fleadh as part of a tribute to Angelica Huston, who will be a guest at the festival.

EIFF09: GMAC Shorts

My final event in this year's Edinburgh film fest before jetting off to merry old Ireland for a couple of days was the selection of short films from the Glasgow Media Access Centre.

ARCHIVE OF DREAMS (Tomas Sheridan) is a documentary which has already had screenings elsewhere (including a prizewinning turn in the Jim Poole Short Film Competition at the Cameo) and looks at a rundown old cinema in Italy where rooms full of films and posters have been sitting gathering dust for years. An attempt to rescue them reveals a possible reason why. It's like a documentary version of CINEMA PARADISO, but with a very different ending.

EYES ON THE STREET (David Newbigging) is a spoof documentary following a community warden in a rough part of town who dreams of becoming a policeman. His stubborn by-the-rules attitude results in many laugh-out-loud moments when clashing with the neighbourhood neds or his everyman partner, and eventually he discovers policing may not be all it's cracked up to be. A wonderful little comedy.

THE FINGER TRAP (Julia McLean) is an animated short in which an old man can't resist playing with the titular toy. It's an endearing animation but the real joy stems not from the work that has gone into the animation but rather from some delightful slapstick comedy routines that would be funny no matter what the genre or medium.

HOMECOMING (Zak Hanif) sees a gathering in the household of a British-Asian family turn sour. Part relationship drama, part culture-clash comedy the film is less than quarter of an hour but could probably be successfully extended to twice that length, such is the quality of writing and the characters featured.

NIGHT SCHOOL (Ben Soper) is a short fiction piece in which a young couple break into an abandoned school share some intimate moments. This was the one film that left me cold but it was very well shot, with striking use of coloured lighting (think Scottish SUSPIRIA).

SALTMARK (Robin Haig) sees a young girl trapped in an embarrassing situation while on an undesired day out with her grandfather. Good chemistry between the two leads and a smart script deliver a lovely little film with both humour and warmth.

Overall this was a very strong selection and it was rather disheartening to hear that the scheme has now lost its funding.

KELLS wins at EIFF

I still have to finish my round-up of EIFF (I've been away - one more event to cover) but in the meantime, I'm delighted to see that THE SECRET OF KELLS (my favourite Irish film of the festival) has beaten off stiff competition from CRYING WITH LAUGHTER (my favourite Scottish film of the festival) and MOON (my favourite film of the festival) to win the audience award. Bravo!

(And yes, it got my vote.)

Irish/Scottish documentary on BBC Alba

There's another chance to see the 2001 IFB short documentary AR DOVER FEIN when it airs on BBC Alba again, this Monday at 10:30pm. The film tells the tragic story of a group of immigrants from Achill Island, County Mayo who came to Scotland, as was traditional, to work the potato fields in 1937 only to die in a horrific bothy fire. The documentary covers the human tragedy but also raises the question of whether it was an accident or something more sinister.

(Note: It's an Irish Film Board production in which the interviewees speak Irish Gaelic, but because this version is on BBC Alba it is then given a Scottish Gaelic narration on top of it... with English subtitles. Convoluted or what? It's definitely worth watching though.)

More EIFF observations

Various little bits and pieces...

Not really much to say about them, but I attended both the "in person" event with Bill Forsyth (a national treasure indeed) and the conversation on Scottish filmmaking which involved the makers of WASTED, CRYING WITH LAUGHTER and RUNNING IN TRAFFIC. The latter event threw up some interesting ideas about the state of filmmaking in this country, but I can't help thinking that part of the problem is that we don't just need to cultivate a Scottish film industry, we also need to cultivate a Scottish film audience.

Tonight as I left I noticed that the audience award is currently sitting with THE SECRET OF KELLS in first place, CRYING WITH LAUGHTER in second and MOON in third. I'd be happy with any of them winning it to be honest. MOON is probably the best new film I've seen at the festival (but it's not Scottish or Irish, hence me not mentioning it here) whereas the other two are both within this blog's remit and also happen to be the best of the Irish and Scottish films on offer. As I write, CRYING WITH LAUGHTER has a screening still to come (only in FH3 mind you) while the others have had both of their screenings. Could we have an Irish or Scottish winner? We shall see.

Still to come: I'll be finishing the EIFF coverage later this weekend, as well as possibly previewing Galway (programme now online) and next month's IFI programme (also now online).

Finally, no more photos of posters this time but I did pick up a postcard promoting LOWLAND FELL by Michael Kinirons, which screens today as part of International Shorts Programme 3.

EIFF09: RUNNING IN TRAFFIC

Okay, it's another Scottish film dwelling on misery - there's death, drugs, crime, hopelessness, the usual stuff. Not exactly the way to win me over.

That said, the cast and crew of this low-budget Scottish drama have created an intriguing little story that does a grand job of gently pulling audience along with it, never revealing too much at a time but ensuring we know enough about the characters to keep involved with the story.

The film centres around Joe (Bryan Larkin, who also wrote the film) and Kayla (Anna Kerth) two lost souls whose paths seem to touch without ever crossing. Both have their share of problems and both have their share of people willing to intrude on them.

I make no secret of the fact that I am disappointed by Scotland's continuing obsession with making films that are miserable and I spent most of this film praying that someone would crack a smile eventually. With that said however, the story is a solid one, it's beautifully shot, well acted by all involved and I have no doubt that, bleak though it may be, if the very same film had been made by a Scandinavian, arthouse critics would be lapping it up.

EIFF09: THE SECRET OF KELLS

Finally, I managed to see this Irish animated adventure - and it was worth the wait.

It seems like some people I've spoken to have focused on the fact that it looks nothing like a Pixar movie - as if somehow this is how all animated films should look. It's worth pointing out therefore that Pixar movies are popular because of their attention to characters, stories and other such crazy ideas. It's not because they look flashy that keep making tons of money and scooping awards from adult audiences.

In this respect, THE SECRET OF KELLS succeeds, and with flying colours. It is a cracking adventure story that plays on Irish history (it's about the quest to complete the Book of Kells while the Vikings come to invade Ireland) but does not require an understanding or awareness of it. Indeed, in the audience I attended with, I overheard more than one person who was surprised to learn that the book was actually a real object. (It's on display at Trinity College, and I urge you to check it out if you haven't already done so)

However, the look of the film is striking as well, regardless of its absence of 3D computer graphics. It's more than just traditional hand-drawn animation though - the makers have clearly spent a great deal of time making the film's look resemble that of the famous book, right down to the tiniest details (snowflakes are Celtic patterns, trees form elaborate archways, etc.). It has a distinctive look that sets it apart - there is no other animated film that looks quite like it.

It proved popular with adults and children alike and indeed there are some moments that perhaps aren't suitable for the youngest of children. The demonic-like appearence of the Norse invaders is a scary creation indeed and calls to mind, in tone if not in style, the hoardes of villains galloping through Ralph Bakshi's animated version of LORD OF THE RINGS.

No news yet on a UK distribution for this, but on the strength of what I've seen it certainly deserves one. Excellent stuff.

EIFF09: CRYING WITH LAUGHTER

When a stand-up comic (Stephen McCole) cracks a joke about an old school friend he barely remembers, it marks only the start of a living nightmare in this new Scottish thriller. To say much more about the plot is to risk hampering your enjoyment so I'll leave it at that.

The comedy aspect is a clever inclusion in the film, demonstrating how the same event can be both terrifying and funny depending on how it is described. In a kind of twist on Woody Allen's MELINDA AND MELINDA, we're essentially seeing the same things from two perspectives - the horrific (when it happens) and the humourous (when it's retold as a joke), but it's also a successful device to throw the audience off guard, constantly mixing some hilarious comedy routines with some nerve-shredding terror at the hands of the villain of the piece, excellently portrayed by Malcolm Shields.

Credit also goes to director Justin Molotnikov and his team for crafting such a fine thriller out of a pretty small budget, but the film really belongs to McCole. He was the most convincing of the heist gang in STONE OF DESTINY and he stole every one of his scenes way back in RUSHMORE, so I'm glad I finally got the chance to see him in a strong leading role. On the strength of this we can only hope it happens more often.

Whether this ever sees a cinema release is doubtful - it's Scottish, which puts it at a disadvantage from the start - but it should at least turn up on BBC in which case I strongly urge that you watch it. We can only hope however that more people get the chance to see it on the big screen - are we really so dismissive of our homegrown films that we'd let a decent Edinburgh-made thriller languish at the expense of going to watch whatever banal Hollywood remake is opening at the local multiplex this week?

I live in hope.

EIFF09: WASTED

A cast made up partially of newcomers and non-professionals; another story about the depressing side of Scottish culture; a workshop-like approach that sounds very similar to the Irish film HELEN, which I was not entirely convinced by. All in all, the new Scottish film WASTED did not sound promising - in the end it was neither as bad as I expected nor as good as I hoped.

I should accentuate the positives to begin with. The film boasts striking, vibrant photography, a beautiful score and stellar performances from every member of the cast, be they experienced pros or unknown newcomers. Unfortunately the title refers not just to the characters' predicaments but also to the talent involved.

Despite all these aspects of the film falling into place, what emerges is yet another morbid combination of homelessness, alcohol abuse and drug addiction that seems to go nowhere except a one-way journey into Scottish cinema cliche.

I found it depressing. Not just the subject matter, although it's certainly no laugh a minute, but the fact that so much talent was clearly at the top of its game only to be crushed by a lack of inventiveness in the writing department. Novel approaches to filmmaking are all very well but sometimes there's something to be said for a good old fashioned script. Who knows, one day it might even be one that doesn't revolve around junkies.

EIFF09: WIDE OPEN SPACES

This Scottish-Irish co-production sees Ewen Bremner and Ardal O'Hanlon teamed up as two losers who become involved in a half-arsed scheme by a shady businessman to open up a theme park dedicated to the Great Famine.

As you may have guessed from this description it's a comedy and the script (by FATHER TED's Arthur Mathews) manages to succeed, more or less, in keeping the laughs flowing.

There are some small issues with pacing and striking a balance when it comes to the film's content. At times it seems some characters are almost forgotten about, or else are introduced and just seem to fade away, and there are moments when characters' motivations aren't the clearest.

However, steady direction by Tom Hall and, most importantly, an excellent cast with a gift for comedy ensure that even when the film does threaten to slip away there is still enough there to win over the audience. Bremner and O'Hanlon in particular have both the chemistry and the comedic delivery to get laughs where lesser acts might fail, and Owen Roe steals pretty much every scene he appears in.

It's not exactly a laugh riot - with the depressing atmosphere conjured up by both the situation and the deliberately drab photography, you're always going to have to work that little bit harder - but it does manage to be consistently amusing with a few real laugh-out-loud classic scenes. It won't have you rolling in the aisles, but the next laugh is never far away.

EIFF09: A SENSE OF FREEDOM

As much as I complain about Scottish filmmakers' fixation with the negative aspects of our culture, it's a bit more difficult when you're confronted with something of the quality of A SENSE OF FREEDOM, the definitive Scottish gangster movie.

It's the true-life story of one-time money-lender and latter day reformed character Jimmy Boyle and was the last film in the season dedicated to Peter McDougall and John Mackenzie, having been adapted from Boyle's book by McDougall.

The film was made in the late 1970s and is built around a powerhouse central performance by David Hayman (in attendance) although it also proves to be a who's who of Scottish acting talent with even the very minor roles going to familiar faces (witness the young Alex Norton as a victim of Boyle early in the film).

Produced by STV, the film was blown up to 35mm and given a theatrical release, such is the quality on show. The down side however is that when this was done, it was also re-dubbed so that the Glasgow accents were a little softer and easier understood by... well, by whoever it is that apparently can't understand the Glasgow dialect. It's an astoundingly ill-judged and downright offensive treatment of a terrific film and sadly this is the version released on DVD. (McDougall himself only rejoined the guests after the screening finished, such is his revulsion at the film's treatment - and understandably so.)

For this screening, EIFF managed a 35mm print but only of the bastardised version, the original apparently being in no fit state to be shown. It's testament to the power of the film that even with this insultingly shoddy hatchet job the film is still a belter.

I urge anyone who hasn't seen this film to at least check it out on DVD, but we can only pray that one day we will once again see the film as it was intended.

Another EIFF poster spotted

Inside the Filmhouse I noticed this poster for THE DOOR by Juanita Wilson. It'll be showing as part of International Shorts Programme 2, which will be playing, er, in about ten and a half hours time. I think I should go to bed. Hopefully I'll get more done tomorrow night then - unless I'm busy sorting out my viewing for Galway next month (programme now online).

EIFF09: Scottish Short Documentary Award

IVETA (Dominika Svekova) is a brief peek into the life of an immigrant family with a particular focus on the youngest child, the only girl in a family of nine children. The film shows plenty of promise but at just over five minutes in length it seems like it's finishing just as we're getting a picture of the family. Perhaps that's the intention, but I felt the material was interesting enough to merit a little further documentation.

KIRRAN AND THE HATCHMAKER (Amy Rose) is another documentary focusing on a child, this time an eccentric young child who lives in the countryside and appears to have an obsession with breeding chickens. It was popular with the audience and although it strayed dangerously close to mockery such sentiments were thankfully reined in. It could just be the way the film was shot, but it seemed to me to be a pretty lonely existance... but if everyone's happy I guess that's what matters. It's still a fun insight into the life of a boy who clearly has plans for bigger things.

MAKING IT (Lou McLoughlan) follows the people who frequent a woman's drop-in centre for the homeless and the artwork inspired by their trip to see a Tracey Emin exhibition. It wasn't my cup of tea but I should stress that this was nothing to do with any shortcomings of the film - it's an interesting enough piece - but rather my personal issues with Tracey Emin.

NO POINT CLIMBING DOWN (Julian Schwanitz) is a haunting, grainy black and white portrait of the life of a crane operator. My description makes it sounds crap but it was superb, one of the best on show.

PETER IN RADIOLAND (Johanna Wagner) is a portrait of the director's father who shuns digital technology in favour of remaining in his own analogue world. It's a touching piece and you can't help but feel some sympathy for him - I don't go to quite such lengths myself, but I can definitely relate to some degree.

THE SHUTDOWN (Adam Stafford) is the documentary about Grangemouth's refinery, a film which I mentioned briefly here before. I'm glad I finally got to see it, because it's superb. Beautifully shot and the voiceover combines both the personal and the informative in a delightful, poetic way. Imagine that voiceover that Terence Davies did for OF TIME AND THE CITY, except it's about Grangemouth rather than Liverpool, and you've some idea of the kind of thing I'm talking about.

SPORRAN MAKERS (Jane McAllister) is a film for anyone who has ever walked past one of the countless shops in Edinburgh selling tartan tat to tourists. Here we see the dark side of the industry as a Scottish sporran-making firm struggles to compete with inferior, but cheaper, products from abroad. It's not something many will think about and as such makes a perfect subject for a documentary such as this, even if it is slightly depressing. Bonus points for including "Highland Cathedral", my favourite piece of bagpipe music (even if it was written by two foreigners - oh, the irony).

The jury picked PETER IN RADIOLAND as the winner. My personal choice would have been THE SHUTDOWN. Your opinion may vary.

Irish update

A brief interlude (I promise my EIFF stuff will continue tomorrow) to update on a couple of things Irish.

First of all, well done to FORTY FOOT on scooping both the Best Irish and Audience awards in the Stranger Than Fiction festival. That's all I've managed to find online so far - if any of the Scottish films managed to win the international award, someone please let me know!

Also, I've just read over on The Quiet Earth (while keeping up to date with one of my other film obsessions, the world of the post-apocalyptic movie) that Conor Horgan's ONE HUNDRED MORNINGS is to have its premiere in Galway on the 11th. Depending on what else is on, I hope to be at that one.

In terms of low-budget Irish post-apocalyptic stuff we've already had DITCHING this year. I suspect this one may have been made for a little bit more money, but not that much, given that it's another of the films from the Catalyst Project, which has already given us Margaret Corkery's EAMON.

EIFF ad break

Lots of stuff still to be written up (it's coming later this week) but I'm tired and it's bedtime, so here's a quick post of some of the promo posters for a few of the Scottish and Irish related films. This is what happens when you're wandering around with hours to kill between films and a camera in your bag.

A poster promoting SPREAD, the new film from EIFF regular David Mackenzie:

Irish animated movie THE SECRET OF KELLS, receiving its UK premiere in Edinburgh:

And two rather different approaches to advertising the Scottish film WASTED:

EIFF09: VAN DIEMEN'S LAND

The story is a familiar one - the story of Alexander Pearce has been filmed a couple of times already and mentioned on this blog before - but it's given a spectacular new treatment in this stunning Australian adaptation of the tale.

The story, for those who haven't heard, is this. In the early 1800s, a group of Scottish, Irish and English prisoners escaped from a British prison camp in Tasmania but in the struggle to survive in the harsh, unexplored wilderness they resorted to murder and cannibalism. Cheery stuff.

Comparisons to earlier versions of the tale are unavoidable but VAN DIEMEN'S LAND takes a different tack from, for example, THE LAST CONFESSION OF ALEXANDER PEARCE in several ways. To start with a negative, the decision to shoot in a rather muted colour scheme doesn't really do full justice to the stunning location, and nor does it seem to serve much purpose. With nothing else in the film to contrast with it, the imagery just seems grey and washed out. If that was deliberate, it's a not a choice I think benefits the film, whereas LAST CONFESSION had a wonderful range of colour and a real texture to the film.

That said, VAN DIEMEN'S LAND is still a spectacular film to see on the big screen. Shot with the new RED camera, there's none of that usual blur that accompanies a lot of the newer non-film formats (see Michael Mann's recent work, or certain parts of APOCALYPTO, as examples that spring to mind) and indeed it looked as good as any digitally projected, shot-on-film movie that I've seen. As much as I didn't agree with the lack of colour, the jungle footage is still stunning.

The cast also do a remarkable job in the intense surroundings and the film benefits from spending more time on their camaraderie and character building (even keeping Pearce as a relatively minor character for large parts of the film), as opposed to LAST CONFESSION which concentrated heavily on Pearce and his confession, and the film benefits as a result. The ultimate fate of Pearce and his confession are stripped away to almost nothing, leaving simply the tale of what happened and for people unfamiliar with the story it is this film which may well be the most effective in ramping up the suspense.

There are merits to both versions of the story I've mentioned here and either one is worth watching but for the purposes of this review I'd reiterate that VAN DIEMEN'S LAND is well-acted, visually impressive film (with a wonderfully evocative score as well) that should really be seen on the big screen if at all possible.

EIFF09: SHALLOW GRAVE

Danny Boyle's feature debut, and the film which made stars of people like Ewan MacGregor and Christpher Ecclestone has received a remastering and was introduced for this special anniversary screening by star Kerry Fox and producer Andrew MacDonald.

Compared to what was to follow for all involved, it's fair to say that the film is a little rough around the edges and not quite the finished article but there is certainly enough to see why the people involved have gone on to such fame (an Oscar-winner, a part in the next Star Wars trilogy and the man who was to regenerate Dr Who - not bad pedigree).

Of the central trio (whose lives are turned upside down when a flatmate dies and they discover a briefcase full of money) MacGregor is entertaining as the cocky wiseass, Ecclestone excellent as the nerd-turned-nutter and Fox is the perfect foil for the pair of them. A wide and varied supporting cast lend extra meat to proceedings and a clever script is shot with verve by Boyle. Boyle and MacGregor were to go on to bigger things with TRAINSPOTTING but you can certainly see early traces of that film in this darkly funny Edinburgh romp (including an ecclectic music selection which doesn't really benefit from a rather pedestrian sound mix).

I have no idea what the plans are for the film now that it has been cleaned up, but watch out for it soon.

EIFF09: ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD

Two Glasgow men wander the countryside avoiding employment and the moment when they have to reveal the extent of their cover-up lies to their wives. Try pitching something like this to a modern TV station these days - an hour consisting of a cast of just two people, spending the entire time talking about their lives.

Even in the days when such things could be made (this was another "Play for Today") such a task would be a difficult one to execute, but once more McDougall comes up trumps. His witty and insightful script is brought to life once again by John Mackenzie and with Jon Morrison and Billy Connolly exercising their full acting range.

It's a terrific piece of filmmaking which overcomes the potentially stagey set-up and passes by before you know it - only to deliver a sucker punch of an ending that will make you want to watch it all over again (which I have done - and it holds up every time).

EIFF09: JUST ANOTHER SATURDAY

McDougall's debut was this stunning piece for BBC's "Play for Today" in which a young Jon Morrison discovers the dark side of the traditional marching season and one of Scotland's more shameful traditions, religious bigotry.

It's an incendiary piece of writing, once again directed by John Mackenzie, which takes no prisoners in its disection of the black heart of sectarian Scotland. I hope it says a lot for our society that many people in the audience, myself included, chuckled at some of the events portrayed - not because they're badly executed, just because we like to think that they belong to a bygone era.

McDougall's script addresses not just these wider issues but also the nature of growing up on a poor Scottish housing estate and the effects it can have on both family and a young man's ambition.

Morrison is joined by another quality Scottish ensemble cast, including a small role for Billy Connolly, with whom he would team up with again in the next film in this retrospective.

EIFF09: A KIND OF SEEING

There will be more EIFF write-ups to come, but I apologise for being behind. I'm spending so much time watching films it's hard to find time to write about them. It's also two in the morning and I figure I'll actually need to go to bed at some point. But on with one more review...

Taking its name from one of the films being shown, this was a Scottish Screen Archive event showcasing five Scottish features, some with an Edinburgh focus.

THE FACE OF SCOTLAND (Basil Wright, 1938) is an enchanting little piece about the nature of being a Scot, originally produced for the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow.

ROSE STREET (Margaret Tait, 1956) is an incredible film showing the titular Edinburgh street observed over the course of a typical day. Traders do business, buskers play - so far, so familiar - but when we see cars driving along it or, more strikingly, children playing in the street it's a world away from the Rose Street we know today, a pedestrianised area more famous for being a pub crawl destination than anything else. Tait's film uses the local sights and sounds to great effect and is one of the most poetic of Scottish films and a rare reminder of just what our nation's cinema has been capable of over the years.

A KIND OF SEEING (Eddie McConnell, 1967) is a portrait of Scotland marrying the beautiful natural beauty of the Scottish outdoors (including some breathtaking views of the hills) scored by some sinister sounding music by Frank Spedding. It's a powerful piece but the music is so ominous it feels and looks like the start of a 70s horror film - I kept expecting to see the Hammer or Amicus name popping up followed by a comely maiden being chased by torchwielding mobs.

THE BIG MILL (Laurence Henson, 1963) is essentially one big advert for the steelworks at Ravenscraig and Gartcosh and yet transcends the corporate film image almost completely. There is naturally an added poignancy to seeing such things in action when they're no longer there. I am among the last generation of Scots to have seen the place as it was, since sadly in the battle between steel mill and iron lady the latter won, but this is no mere nostalgia trip to a pre-Thatcher industrial past. This film is a thing of beauty - I have never seen a steelmill look quite so cinematic.

EDINBURGH ON PARADE (Mark Littlewood) is a film capturing Edinburgh in days gone by when the festival comes to town. It's another wonderful piece of nostalgia but again wonderfully made (a post-screening Q&A revealed some of the stories behind making it, including the use of a fire engine to get a nice crane shot of bands marching down Princes Street).

This show was an absolute gem and I only wish it happened more often. And a few more DVDs of this stuff wouldn't hurt either.

EIFF09: JUST A BOY'S GAME

Long-time readers of my blog will know I've commented before on this TV-play written by Peter McDougall and, as with all the McDougall films showing at this year's EIFF, directed by John Mackenzie. It's so good I just have to mention it again anyway.

It's the story of a Glasgow hardman (singer Frankie Miller) trying to escape the reputation inherited from his father and grandfather - though not with much success. Though much of the film falls into what would become cliches of Scottish film (gangland thugs and binge drinking) the film still feels refreshing today.

Despite the violence, darkness and general air of melancholy that runs throughout, the film is peppered with laugh out loud gallows humour - surely inherited from McDougall's industry background in much the same way that Billy Connolly was to make so much of his time in the shipyards.

More striking however is the violence. While not exactly over the top (this is 1970s TV we're talking about), when it does occur it is realistic, it is brutal and it is horrific. An opening bar sequence sets high standards but even that is eclipsed by the in-your-face showdown towards the end of the film. Being too young to have seen it first time round, I wonder what audiences made of it when it was first broadcast, given that even in this desensitised age there were a number of people in the cinema visibly flinching and squirming in their seats at some of the more brutal moments.

Finally, the film is delivered by an incredible cast. The supporting roles feature the likes of comedy legend Hector Nicol (in a far from comedic part) and a pre-RAB C NESBITT turn from Gregor Fisher. It belongs however to Frankie Miller, whose laid-back but intense performance is nothing short of breathtaking, making you wonder what might have been had his career taken a different path.

It was a delight to see this screening packed out and McDougall (and, I must confess, myself) visibly moved by the audience's appreciation for one of Scottish screen drama's true greats.

It has begun.

Reviews will start appearing here sometime this weekend!

Random musing on film festivals

Two of my favourite festivals (EIFF and Stranger Than Fiction) are just kicking off just now (more or less) so it got me searching for any updates on various festivals.

I did find that the programme for the Galway Film Fleadh should be getting launched on the 23rd of this month, with information online from the 24th.

I was also looking online to see if there had been much coverage of Guth Gafa in Donegal - not much to report at the moment, but I did only spend about half a minute searching for that one. It took place at the weekend, although obviously I wasn't there. I thought about it but it proved to be rather expensive and more than a little awkward when coming from my neck of the woods. It also happened to fall rather close to too many other wallet-emptying events for me too.

The reason I'd originally planned it was to make up for the fact that my favourite documentary film festival in Ireland, the aforementioned Stranger Than Fiction at the IFI, had moved its dates to June this year and thus I couldn't attend.

Of course, the only reason I couldn't attend that one was because it clashed with Edinburgh. That wouldn't have been an issue if it wasn't for the fact that Edinburgh moved itself to June last year.

So I decided that this year I'd still be going to HotDocs, which would possibly have clashed with Guth Gafa had the latter been in its usual May slot, given that HotDocs moved forward slightly from its usual slot. In addition, I still wanted another documentary festival so I decided that, at long last, I was going to make my first ever trip to the Sheffield Doc Fest.

Except I can't because it clashes with Cork, and the only reason that happened is that Cork have also now leapt on the date-changing bandwagon and skipped back a month to a new November slot, right opposite Sheffield.

So it seems the whole rescheduling thing is catching on, in which case I'd just ask of any other festival organisers thinking about changing... can you please speak to me first? You're really screwing up my holiday arrangements here!

NEW TOWN KILLERS interview on BBC

Just noticed that the BBC's Film Network site has a fascinating video interview with Richard Jobson about NEW TOWN KILLERS. I don't know what the licensing deal is with this part of their site, so apologies if this isn't viewable in whatever part of the world you're living in, but click here to go to the page.

Scottish films on TV - update

The latest in STV's strand of Scottish films is the 1979 drama A SENSE OF FREEDOM. Based on the life of Glasgow gangster Jimmy Boyle, it features the excellent David Hayman in the lead role, was directed by John Mackenzie (THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY) and was written by Peter McDougall. It's on STV at 10:35pm on Monday 22nd of June, but of course I know that you're all going to go and see it as part of the McDougall event at the EIFF on the 20th anyway.

Bizarre scheduling decision of the week goes to BBC1 however for the very same night. They're showing WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF at 11:50pm. That's right, the film which was on STV just last night. Eh?

George Morrison update

It's been a while since I wrote anything about George Morrison, isn't it? Well, while surfing around the web last night I discovered that first of all Ciarin Scott's documentary about him, WAITING FOR THE LIGHT, would now appear to be available on DVD directly from Atlantic Film Alliance. At least that certainly seems to be the case according to this link here but I've not contacted them personally... mainly because Hotdocs last month, Edinburgh this month and the Fleadh next month means I'm a bit too skint to actually buy a copy just now.

There are also clips available from the film on AFA's website, click here to see them. You may remember when I first posted about my viewing of this film (first of all the rough cut in Galway, then the world premiere in Dublin) that I mentioned my surprise at finding a brief appearance of myself in it, albeit limited to a 2-second shot of the back of my head. Well that brush with stardom features in clip number 5 on the website. Fame at last - anyone else requiring my services should speak to my agent.

SMART BOY WANTED (1960) / CHICK'S DAY (1950)

Tonight's show at the GFT was introduced by critic Mitch Miller who gave a brief summary of the life and career of Enrico Cocozza and it was the perfect introduction. For a man who has become one of the forgotten men of Scottish film (I admit I'd never heard of him before this event was announced) Miller's talk gave the perfect summary of where he came from, why he did what he did, why he is so important and why none of us have ever heard of him. He may have been classed as an amateur filmmaker but there's no denying it's a term that really doesn't sit well with elements of the work I saw tonight.

Unfortunately there's still not a wealth of material available on him - with Scottish Screen now possessing a lot of his material, I'm praying for a decent-sized retrospective sometime - but there is some out there if you look (just don't bother wasting time with the IMDb). For starters, try the programme notes for tonight's screening which were written by Miller and Butcher Boy's John Blain Hunt. You can also see snippets of Cocozza's work on the Scottish Screen Archive website.

The show opened with a short film by Cocozza, SMART BOY WANTED, detailing the misadventures of a couple of young lads who have just been given a job in a cafe. Cocozza's method of shooting the films - shooting them as silent and then dubbing a soundtrack later - gives the film a bizarre off-kilter feel but they still retain a special charm thanks to the use of locals in the cast, ensuring that the soundtrack is still dubbed in entirely authentic Lanarkshire accents.

The short demonstrated some talent for comic timing and a few genuinely laugh out loud moments of slapstick. This couldn't be further removed from the main feature.

CHICK'S DAY saw local band Butcher Boy take to the floor to perform their newly composed score for the film. Although part of me is disappointed that this meant that the soundtrack created post-shoot by Cocozza was absent (see the clip on the Scottish Screen website), the story unfolds in such a way that the missing dialogue doesn't hamper your understanding or enjoyment of the film.

Opening with Chick waking up in a messy old house (on a par with that seen in the equally authentic Bill Douglas Trilogy) the day soon turns sour for our titular protagonist as an argument with a friend goes horribly wrong. Gone is the playful banter of SMART BOY WANTED; instead, CHICK'S DAY starts off miserable and descends into a mire of despair and upset. The final scene is as perfect a moment as has ever been seen in a Scottish film.

Driving the action along, for tonight at least, was the score by Butcher Boy. It was perfectly suited to the film, with a melodious but sinister vibe that seemed to get darker as the film did, and it was an excellent performance. (Note: they were also playing a set afterwards, with some other local footage projected, but I had to skip out before this I'm afraid - cut me some slack, I still had an hour-long drive home)

For me, tonight was definitely another of those occasions of discovery that all film enthusiasts live for and I can only hope that more of Cocozza's work will be exhumed for the general public before too much longer.

Two short films

Thought I'd post a couple of short films here for you to watch which I uncovered on my semi-regular trawl through the archives of Vimeo. One Irish, one Scottish - which I guess as far as this blog goes, basically means there's something for everyone.

First of all there's a film I've mentioned here before, ISLAND TO ISLA. It's a touching little tale of love and the postal service, set against the backdrop of a small, picturesque Scottish island.

I discovered this after I'd praised the excellent LIFE OF A PIGEON a few months back. The director of that film, Billy Campbell, didn't direct this one, but he did act as cinematographer. It's a contribution for which he picked up an award at the Encounters Short Film Festival and from the very first scene you can see why. It looks terrific.

The second video I'm posting here is an Irish short that I've mentioned several times in the past and have said nice things about. Colm Quinn's NO REGRETS IN THE WEST is now online so now those of you who didn't manage to see it at any festivals (as opposed to people like me who saw it at several) can finally see exactly what I'm talking about. A personal film about the director's father, it's a documentary but also heavily inspired by the western and it's a visual delight.

Check out both films below, ISLAND TO ISLA is first with NO REGRETS IN THE WEST below it.

THE SHUTDOWN goes to Silverdocs

And in the last of my big bumper update for this evening...

THE SHUTDOWN by Adam Stafford has been selected for the shorts programme at Silverdocs in Washington. This is a major documentary festival, so well done to him. See here for more details.

Luckily for me the film's also in the running for the Scottish Documentary Award so I'll be seeing it at the EIFF later this month.

The film focuses on the chemical plant in Grangemouth, near Falkirk, which is relatively near to me and something I've passed so often without really knowing much about it. In fact, it very much forms part of my landscape, since it and the other industrial areas surrounding it lend the sky an eerie glow which I can see from my home every night.

What is most interesting to me however, and something that I only just discovered while searching for more information on the film, is that it apparently makes reference to a large and terrifying explosion that occurred there some time ago. The reason this is of interest to me is that I still have a very vivid memory of the incident although it happened back in the 1980s when I was but a child.

I was awoken early one morning by the loudest, rumbling bang I'd ever heard, a noise which (and I know this sounds daft now but...) I swear sounded like my bathroom had just exploded. To give you an idea of how loud the explosion must have been, it's worth bearing in mind that I grew up almost 12 miles away.

Sorry, I appear to have digressed rather. The gist of this post is: congratulations to THE SHUTDOWN and I look forward to seeing it!

Seven Irish at Palm Springs

This news story just came from the IFTN news site, so go over there to read the full story.

I don't always post just because something's been selected for a festival but I thought this was worth mentioning because there are seven of them all making their way to the Shortfest at Palm Springs and because I've actually seen six of them. But better than that, the six I've seen are all films that I've given praise to in the past. I've not seen Liam Gavin's SUNSHOWER, but as for the rest of them...

ATLANTIC by Conor Ferguson has been mentioned loads of times here before, and you'll recall (well, maybe you will) that I referred to it as "three minutes of cinematic perfection" and rated it 10/10.

WHATEVER TURNS YOU ON by Declan Cassidy was the subject of a rave review which just appeared recently. Click here to read it.

THE GERMAN by Nick Ryan popped up at Cork last year and was duly declared to be 8/10 from me.

THE MAN INSIDE by Rory Bresnihan didn't quite jibe with my sensibilities but was still enough to merit 7/10 all the same (see the link to THE GERMAN above), and it'll be showing at Edinburgh this month.

SANDPIPER by Jimmy T. Murakami had the unenviable task of following ATLANTIC (see link above) but still scored an impressive 8/10 from me anyway. If you're wondering why I awarded ratings for these films but then haven't done it since... I've no idea to be honest. Maybe I'll start doing it again soon.

AN RANGER by PJ Dillon was a 9/10 from me first time I saw it (see the link next to THE GERMAN again) and then seemed to only improve when I viewed it again this year at Dublin.

So there you have it - seven films selected, six of them praised here by me. The evidence is overwhelming: my opinion is clearly the barometer by which all films are measured and I hereby declare myself to be the sole arbiter of cinematic taste. I have to admit to not having a scooby where Palm Springs actually is though.

The Edinburgh Pitch

Five Scottish projects have been selected among the twelve overall selections for the Edinburgh Pitch 2009, which will take place at EIFF this year. They are THE BOY FROM GEORGIA by Aimara Reques, END OF THE GAME by David Graham Scott, OLD McDONALD'S FARM by Jamie Stone, THE LAST WORD by Morag MacKinnon and, er, one other. I don't know what the other one is because the press release says "UK" next to a number of them. I know, I really should try harder.

Reminder: Enrico Cocozza @ GFT

Just a heads-up to remind you about a special event at Glasgow Film Theatre this Sunday where local band Butcher Boy will be performing a live score to the Enrico Cocozza film CHICK'S DAY. See my previous post on the subject for details.

Films @ West End Festival, Glasgow

As part of the West End Film Festival, there are a few Scottish films showing at the lovely little Grosvenor cinema, which can be found down a wee lane just off Byres Road in, well, the west end of Glasgow.

From Sunday to Tuesday, there will be a 3pm screening for AE FOND KISS, LOCAL HERO, TRAINSPOTTING and THE CLAIM respectively. Fair enough, THE CLAIM isn't Scottish, but it is about an Irish immigrant in America, so it sort of qualifies for a mention in my blog anyway.

In addition to these screenings, LOCAL HERO will be the "Silver Screen" showing at 10:30am on Wednesday, while there are also 10:30am showings on both Tuesday and Thursday in the "Watch With Baby" category for AE FOND KISS and LOCAL HERO.

Mutant Shorts in Cork

The Cork Film Festival is still some way off - even further than normal thanks to the shift in dates this year - so if you're in the Cork area and have a hankering for some short films, Wednesday 24th of June sees a screening of shorts created as part of a competition run in association with Mutant Space. See their website for details.

Alas I just miss out on that one by a few days as I'll find myself wandering the streets of Cork that Sunday instead. I'll just need to pass my time doing what I always do in Cork on a Sunday... go to the market, eat too much chocolate and then get to the airport to find Aer Arann have changed the time of my flight.

Guests at EIFF

I've already covered the Irish and Scottish stuff that's going to be getting shown at Edinburgh this year (less than a week to go, how excited am I?) but for those of you who like film festivals because of the whole red carpet thing, there is a complete (at the moment) list available on the EIFF website of who is expected to appear at each film.

I'm too lazy to go through it all and pick out all the guests from the Scottish and Irish stuff, so I thought I'd bring it to your attention in case you're interested. You have to register as a web member to see it but I'm sure you're so dedicated that you've already done that.

NEW TOWN KILLERS (2008)

Wherever you look in the city is pure cinema.

Recognise those words? If you do, it's probably because you've seen them plastered across the promotional literature for the "Made in Edinburgh" season running at the Filmhouse at the moment. The words are Richard Jobson's and tonight I saw, once again, proof that he is one of the few directors who really gets it as I finally managed to catch his latest effort, NEW TOWN KILLERS.

Tonight was also notable for being the first time that the film has actually played in Edinburgh (it was introduced as the "Scottish premiere" but I think the people at the Glasgow Film Festival might have something to say about that). Of course there are advantages and disadvantages to that. On the down side, you end up next to a couple of lassies who've been on the wine who whisper excitedly to each other every time they recognise a location - no, really, that's Princes Street? Thanks for clueing me in - but on the plus side there's an undeniable thrill to watching a couple of psycho killers chasing a young man down the very path you walked down on the way to the screening!

There was a brief intro and Q&A with Jobson and two of the stars but as interesting as it was (always nice to hear mention of "Into the Valley") it's the film I want to focus on - because, to paraphrase a dreadful shampoo advert, it's worth it. (Although I can point out from the questions asked afterwards that the journalist, author and film critic Mark Cousins clearly enjoyed it.)

NEW TOWN KILLERS is a recession-era film about the gulf between the rich and poor, between the high-powered execs who live in the city and the marginalised groups who live in the poverty-stricken outskirts. However, it's not some po-faced piece of miserablist cinematic suffering, it's a juiced-up, adrenalin-fuelled thriller bursting with kinetic energy and a sense of the visual splendour that Edinburgh can provide, especially in the titular area of the city centre.

Sean (James Anthony Pearson) is a young man from a poor part of town who enters into a deal with two shady characters (Dougray Scott and Alastair Mackenzie) in which he plays a game of hide and seek in Edinburgh in exchange for money (if he wins), which he desperately needs to help out his troubled sister. Unfortunately for him, he isn't fully aware of the lengths to which his hunters will go to win...

In some ways, there are similarities in ideas between this film and HOSTEL 2, if you imagine the torture and gore replaced with energetic chase scenes. Well, and also the other minor point that Jobson's made a really good film whereas Eli Roth made a steaming puddle of rancid pish.

As I have said so often before, there are precious few directors in Scotland - of the ones who can actually get their films made at least - who realise that Scottish films don't all have to be about broken homes, addicts and shaky handheld cameras prowling run-down housing estates. Jobson understands that Scotland, and Edinburgh in particular, can be as cinematic as any place in the world; he also understands that it's possible to do genre film here too. Adding to a CV that already includes a futuristic martial arts B-movie set in Glasgow and a romantic science fiction ghost story from Edinburgh, now Jobson has crafted a good old fashioned chase movie.

In a way it forms a perfect flipside to the aforementioned ghost story, A WOMAN IN WINTER, as far as Edinburgh goes. The earlier film took place largely in the historic Old Town and played heavily on the past; NEW TOWN KILLERS focuses on (unsurprisingly) the New Town and some of the more stereotypical elements of the people living there. One thing is proven though, no matter where Jobson chooses to shoot, he knows how to do it in the most cinematic of ways.

Gone is the majority of the pretentious dialogue that briefly derailed moments of his earlier films. It still pops up occasionally in NEW TOWN KILLERS when we briefly slow down for obligatory character moments and the odd bit of exposition, but for the most part this is a Richard Jobson film streamlined. It's set up quickly, and away we go, and the pace keeps up right until the very end.

Pearson is more than competent as Sean, the one character in the film who seems to have the morals we all wish we had and the one truly sympathetic character. However, the film really belongs to Scott and Mackenzie. Scott is the star, clearly relishing the chance to play a malevolent force of nature with seemingly no morals at all, but the double act between he and Mackenzie, who plays the new guy who wants in on the action, is terrifically entertaining.

I'm sure people could debate endlessly about whether this is Jobson's best film or not, but it's certainly his most accomplished from a technical standpoint and the most cinematic - it's the closest in look and feel he's come to a "mainstream" film but for once I don't mean that in a negative way. I simply mean that of all the films he's made, this is the one which feels most like it would not be out of place in your local multiplex and has nothing to fear from its big-budget American cousins. This should be the film that finally gets Jobson the notice he deserves. If it doesn't... well, I'm sure he'll keep making them anyway and that can only be a good thing for those of us who do have the good sense to keep watching them.

NEW TOWN KILLERS is on general release very soon, but exact dates will probably differ from place to place, so keep an eye on your local cinema. If they're not showing it, ask them why.

Early news from Galway 2009

I'm planning on attending the Galway Film Fleadh again this year for a few days - not for as long as I'd like mind you, due to the rather limited flight schedule from Edinburgh - so naturally I'm interested when I see bits of the programme begin to creep out. It's not been announced in full yet and although I've found a few films that are showing, I decided to keep this round-up to just the Irish stuff.

Their "Out on Film" strand will feature the Irish documentary feature IDENTITIES, and there's also a place for the short film FIRST KISS.

Talking of shorts, and you know that the Irish shorts are one of the biggest draws of these festivals as far as my own taste goes, I've discovered at least a few that have been selected.

Filmmakers' Network (see link over on the right hand side of my blog there) has already revealed that TUFTY by Brendan Butler and Jason Butler, THE GOOD DOCTOR by Rick Larkin (who brought SATELLITES AND METEORITES to the Fleadh last year) and Mairtin De Barra's TART have been selected. See more info on the first two at the official website of Warrior Films and for the latter, see the film's blog.

On top of those, a quick scout around cyberspace reveals the animated short DABDA (Diarmaid Hanly) will also be appearing. See the director's blog for more. Other animation will appear at the Fleadh in the shape of RAT RACE - once again, see the blog.

Irish/Scottish shorts @ STF2009

The line-up for the short film programme at this year's Stranger Than Fiction documentary film festival at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin has been announced. Despite the fact that I've already said I'm not going this year (first time in a while) due to the new dates clashing with EIFF, I must confess I did look into the possibility of flying over just for the shorts, but then realised that this would be ridiculous even by my standards.

As it happens however, I've seen a few of them anyway so at least I can pass comment in advance.

As usual there are a number of Irish shorts (obviously), which include the Hotdocs prizewinner FORTY FOOT and VISITING DAY, which I caught at Cork last year. I think my review at the time was perhaps a tad harsh but it definitely wasn't my cup of tea.

Particularly pleasing for me this year is the inclusion of no less than three Scottish shorts. MA BAR and CHRISTMAS WITH DAD were a couple I saw at Hotdocs last month, and they'll also be joined by Lindsay Goodall's IRENE, which I saw earlier in the year at the Glasgow fest.

Head along to this one if you're in the area. Full programme is available at the website.

Clips from WIDE OPEN SPACES

WIDE OPEN SPACES, an Irish-Scottish co-production, stars Ewen Bremner and Ardal O'Hanlon as a couple of loser friends who get involved in a shady businessman's attempts to open an Irish Famine theme park. It receives its world premiere in Edinburgh later this month and there are now a couple of clips from it available on Youtube.

Telford College @ Filmhouse

As mentioned previously, I elected to take in the HND Creative Industries Showcase 2009 courtesy of Edinburgh's Telford College at the Filmhouse tonight. As with my round-up of the Stevenson College programme, I don't propose to write about all of them but there are a few worth noting.

THE LOSING EDGE (Grant Rutherford) may a little rough around the edges but certainly manages to build up a tense atmosphere in this tale of an army mission gone wrong.

MONKEY TEMPLE (Anup Chitraker) was an interesting documentary piece about a local business. I've walked past this shop countless times and never actually given it a second thought, so it was interesting to see the story behind it, with a few laughs thrown in.

UNKNOWN LAWS (Sean Stevenson) is an eye-opening documentary about a new law that has been sneaked in under counter-terrorism laws (although counter-tourism is more accurate) and is especially timely in light of the recent controversy over police action in London.

SWEET COFFEE (Anup Chitraker) has to be one of the oddest love stories I've seen, but charming in a rather strange way. It's sweet but at the same time rather funny in a very dark way.

1 MILLION HITS (Martyn Brown) is very much a definitive short film for the Youtube generation and while in some ways it makes a very serious point about the filming-obsessed culture we live in, it's also got a wonderfully laugh-out-loud twist in its tail.

There was one rather depressing aspect of the show however. I've said before that I'm not one for poking holes in student films from a technical standpoint as it's not fair. However, I would at least hope that some more imagination be shown in picking material in future work. Almost half the films shown tonight involved youngsters drinking, taking drugs or both. While I have no doubt that most of the filmmakers featured tonight have the ability to make it in the industry, I would at least urge a little caution in so far as the fact that the last thing the Scottish film industry needs is more films about our country's drink/drugs culture.

Napier Uni @ Filmhouse

Another day, another degree show at the Filmhouse (well, okay, it was last night). This time it's the turn of Napier University (time permitting, I hope to take in Telford College's efforts tomorrow night). Bonus points to Napier for including a DVD of the selected shorts (plus a few more) with their promotional literature.

CAT EATS DOG (Daniel Taylor) is an amusing tale of a man who is prepared to go to great lengths for the love of a troubled younger woman. What really struck me more than anything about this film was the colour. It's not really reflected in the picture I've included here, so I'm assuming that either the DVD isn't right or there was a happy mistake in the Filmhouse projection booth, but the film's slightly saturated look gave the colours a deep, vibrant glow that really made it stand out, from the bright red dress of the young lady or the grass in the Meadows (which I swear has never looked as green as it does in this film).

LAPSE (Ben Gould) is an odd tale of a bizarre incident in the life of a frustrated office worker. There are shades of David Lynch about certain aspects of it (though it never quite strays that far into weirdness territory) but is most notable for a terrific musical score which just whispers ominous from start to finish.

SKIP 11 (Christopher Cook) is a documentary look at the work of sculptor Kevin Harman as he creates the latest in his line of artistic sculptures - a series in which he makes art out of the contents of skips. It's a fascinating look at a talented man, and the only downside is that it was filmed about five minutes from my work and I never noticed it.

MINUTE (Jennifer Hargrave) examines the exploits of a little girl who appears to live in a world of her own, and not an entirely pleasant one. I can't say that this one spoke to me completely but it was clearly a very personal vision from the director and such things are rarely designed for mass market appeal. It's still a finely made film though.

EMBODIED (Bracken Coates) is an experimental effort which immediately rubbed me up the wrong way because, and call me uncultured here, experimental films rarely appeal to me. However, this one actually won me over. The combination of some powerful imagery, beautifully shot, together with that Kronos Quartet music that we all know from REQUEIM FOR A DREAM really makes this one an impressive little film.

THE WAY TO MACONDO (Chico Pereira) is, in some ways, the strangest of the bunch. A young man turns up for a part in a film, which then morphs into the film he's supposed to be starring in, but then throws more confusion in your face by having the other characters battle with him over the script, before the filmmakers themselves start wandering in and out. It's all very post-modern and more than a little strange, but also rather charming. And I guarantee that nobody will fail to at least smile as they witness a man serenading some cows.

MODERN LIFE (Kevin Jones) is the final one of the bunch, a rather depressing little tale of, well, modern life. There are one or two weak links in the chain as far as the acting goes and the script feels a little too much like it was written for the stage, but I really liked the grainy black and white photography. I am assuming it was shot digitally and then graded accordingly, in which case well done on a fine job.

Irish films at QFT

The Queens Film Theatre in Belfast have some things to look out for this month for lovers of Irish film.

(But first a quick Scottish note - THE WICKER MAN enjoys an outing at the QFT on Saturday the 20th - I mentioned a screening in Edinburgh the other day, so it's only right I should mention this one as well)

First of all on the Irish front, KISSES will be on from the 17th July. Before then however there's BEYOND THE FIRE, which will be playing from the 26th of June, so see that one while it enjoys a limited cinema outing.

Simultaneously, there is a series of films about The Troubles, entitled "A Cinema of Conflict", which kicks off with a talk by Martin McLoone on the 27th, covering the way that 25 years of violence were covered by film and television. This is followed by screenings of the following:

• ANGEL - an early film from Neil Jordan


• BLOODY SUNDAY - the powerful, must-see dramatisation of that notorious day in Derry


• FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN - the recent BBC film starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt


• H3 - the lesser seen film dealing with the IRA hunger strikes in which Mark O'Halloran plays Bobby Sands


• IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER - the superb drama with Daniel Day Lewis on top form


• MICKYBO AND ME - a wonderful film about two boys from the opposite sides of the divide who are obsessed with BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID


• OMAGH - the dramatisation of the incident which sickened the world a decade ago, starring Gerard McSorley

See the website for more details.

WILBUR on television in Scotland

The (very) dark Scottish comedy WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF starring Jamie Sives as the titular Wilbur is the next film in STV's "Scotland on Film" season. It'll be on STV on Monday 15th June at 10:35pm.

It's rather typical of Scottish cinema that even when we make a comedy it's a bleak and miserable film about a man who wants to die but to be fair I think there was some Danish and Scandinavian involvement too. Nobody likes misery more than northern Europeans.

(Don't let me put you off though - it's a very good film.)

IFI redevelopment

I just read over on the Film Ireland website that the Irish Film Institute in Dublin is to undergo a serious makeover/expansion over the next few months.

It's terrific news. Not that I have any major problems with it at the moment mind you, but the changes mentioned in the article (go and read it for more detail) can surely only be a good thing. What particularly pleases me is the emphasis on the work of the archive. I make no secret of the fact that I am insanely jealous of the archive and those that have access to it, and anything which makes any of the material there more accessible to the public, to researchers, and to crazed Scottish bloggers with irrational loves of Irish cinema has to be good news.

Not much point in me suggesting anything here because (a) they pay people other than me to plan these kind of things and (b) I suspect nobody from the IFI actually reads this blog, but all the same I'd love to see them install some kind of facility along the lines of the British Film Institute's Mediatheque.

For those not familiar with the BFI (and it's worth a trip if you're not), the Mediatheque is a room full of monitor screens, with headphones, where people can go and select old material from the archives to sit and watch. It's not without its technical glitches (which may be fixed for all I know - it's a while since I've been) but it's a brilliant idea, there's new content added every month, and it's FREE.

Of course I'd love to see something like that in Scotland too but that's just a dream of mine. But can you imagine the IFI installing something like that? Fair enough, they'd probably get annoyed at me turning up for the weekend with a sleeping bag, but I still think it would be a terrific idea.

New Scottish horror

If there's one thing I enjoy more than the thought of a post-apocalyptic zombie-style outbreak (and there are very few) it's the thought of a post-apocalyptic zombie-style outbreak in Scotland. Well, assuming we're just talking about films obviously - I imagine if it happened in real life it would probably be quite unpleasant for all involved.

Anyway, that's why I was delighted when I first read about THE DEAD OUTSIDE, an independent Scottish horror film by Kerry Anne Mullaney in which survivors of a plague descend on an isolated Scottish farm and nastiness ensues. Sounds a little like OUTPOST, only not quite so fantastical and with no attempt made to make the setting anything other than Scottish, which is nice.

Unfortunately the screening in London at FrightFest back in August last year remains, as far as I know, the only UK screening to date. It's been around other festivals elsewhere in the world and picked up four nominations in the BAFTA Scotland New Talent awards, but that still doesn't seem to have been enough to secure a few screenings north of the border.

I live in hope, and if anyone finds out anything about it coming to Scotland please let me know. In the meantime, keep up to date at the film's official website, where you can also view an impressive looking trailer.

Go North (Inverness to be precise)

There are a whole bunch of film-related activites, many of them with a Scottish focus, taking place at the goNORTH event in Inverness on June 11th and 12th 2009 including screenings, masterclasses and discussions.

I don't propose to recycle it all here, just go over to the website and click the Film & TV link for the full details.

RTE Storyland - round 3 now live

It's down to just four contenders - PSYCH WARD, HAPPY SLAPPER, HARDY BUCKS and RENTAL BOYS - and round 3 of RTE's web drama competition is now online.

Go here to watch the current entries and to see previous episodes of all the projects.

Voting closes Monday 15th June.

THE WICKER MAN in Edinburgh

The legendary Cameo cinema has been celebrating its 60th anniversary by dedicating one of its double bills each month to a pair of films from each decade of its existence. July sees the 70s get their turn and - no surprise to anyone familiar with the manager's taste in film - it's a double-bill of 70s British horror.

The second part of the double bill is TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER but obviously as far as this blog goes the relevant film is the incredible Scottish island horror THE WICKER MAN. Not only Christopher Lee at his finest, but also one of my favourite horror films. I've seen it countless times, even in the cinema, but it's always worth checking out. If you've never seen it, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Stevenson College @ Filmhouse

Just attended the annual Stevenson College show at the Filmhouse, so thought it fitting to comment on the films. Given the vast number on show, I'm not about to cover all of them but felt I could at least mention some of my personal highlights. It goes without saying that it would be all too easy to sit and pick holes with every film on show, but it's a collection of films made by youngsters still learning the ropes so it would also be a tad unfair.

However, here's a few that, whatever flaws they might have, I thought still showed something special.

MY STAR WARZ ANIMATION (James McErlean) recreates the opening scene of a certain sci-fi film of the 70s, using old school (i.e. non-CGI) special effects in a humourous short which actually demonstrates a pretty good grip of traditional special effects techniques.

BAD DAY (Adam Wasiak) is a very funny piece in the format of a black and white silent comedy by someone who has obviously spent a bit of time studying the classics of the genre.

WOMAN IN KITCHEN (Jordan Anderson/Loudy Othman) may be hampered by the various restrictions in place on such works but is still an interesting look at a woman's life.

ANTICIPATION: THE 12:40 (Craig McKenna) overcomes its deficiencies to present a very moving glimpse at the growing problem of premature dementia.

DANCING NINA (Joanna Jakubowska) was exceptionally short (but was billed as a work in progress) but stunning all the same for its beautiful animation of a ballet dancer.

THE QUEST FOR MARS (Peter Harper) is an amusing little look at the life of a pensioner with a funny twist in the tale and, more importantly, centres around that uniquely Scottish institution, the deep-fried Mars Bar.

BOUNCING BALL (Aidan Cowely) is another highly stylised and quite impressive piece of animation.

612 (James McEarlean) is an interesting documentary look at the life of a stock car racer who demonstrates either great bravery or great stupidity (depending on your viewpoint). And it was largely filmed in Cowdenbeath, so bonus points for the Fife connection.

MISSING (Pawel Gaudyn) was a horror short which despite its limitations managed to conjure up some memorable imagery and a truly creepy atmosphere. I've no idea where it was filmed (the exterior was Lothian Road, but I don't know if the same building was used for interiors or not) but the building itself was more creepy than the Overlook Hotel.

If anyone is interested in this sort of thing, there are a few degree shows on over the next week or two at the Filmhouse. Check the programme for details.

Scottish films on TV (Scotland/N.Ireland)

Yes, I know, I look really lazy when you see how many of my recent posts have just been little news items and bits and pieces, but I promise I'll have some more actual reviews of stuff I've watched coming sometime soon. In the meantime, here's a little advance notice for a couple of good Scottish films coming up on TV.

For viewers in Scotland, you can see Ken Loach's modern-day Glaswegian Romeo and Juliet tale AE FOND KISS, in which a Scots-Asian muslim (Atta Yaqub) falls in love with a Catholic, Irish schoolteacher (Eva Birthistle). I don't think I'm spoiling anything by revealing that it's not a relationship without problems. It's on at 10:35pm on Monday 8th June on STV.

Meanwhile, at the same time but over on BBC Northern Ireland, you can catch a very different, but also very good, Scottish romance as Bill Forsyth's GREGORY'S GIRL gets yet another (but always welcome) airing.

Coming up at the Hippodrome

Okay, so I've still yet to actually visit the reopened Hippodrome but I'm keeping an eye on their programme anyway as it looks like a lovely cinema and I'm definitely aiming to head over there to check it out sometime soon.

For now, here's a summary of things Scottish related that feature in the June-August programme - I'd include Irish too but at the moment that's only IS ANYBODY THERE?, which is directed by John Crowley, as the screenings of KISSES included in the programme have apparently been cancelled.

Armando Ianucci's IN THE LOOP visits the Hippodrome this Friday for a week, as it does at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh too, and Lindsay Anderson's Richard Harris-starring THIS SPORTING LIFE will also pop up at both venues in the near future.

Richard Jobson's NEW TOWN KILLERS, which you know I'm dead excited about, will be playing there too, but sadly not until 14th August. I'd much rather see it in a proper cinema like the Hippodrome than the horrible Vue in Edinburgh, but I'd rather not wait two months though.

There's a special screening of THE INHERITANCE on Thursday 20th August which will be attended by the cast and crew.

Enthusiasts of Scottish cinema, trains or just plain nostalgia will be interested in a special event with Eddie McConnell, in which the BAFTA-winning director/cameraman will present three of his short films about Scottish railways, A LINE TO SKYE, A LINE FOR ALL SEASONS and an extract from DIAMONDS WERE FOREVER.

Jack Cardiff tribute at EIFF

A late addition to the EIFF programme (apart from ICE AGE 3 which was also just announced) is a tribute to one-time EIFF guest, the recently departed cinematography legend Jack Cardiff. It'll take the form of a screening of PAINTING WITH LIGHT, a documentary about Cardiff's contribution to the stunning BLACK NARCISSUS.

The film was produced, I believe, for a previous DVD release and is less than half an hour long, however there is a brief Q&A with the film's director, Craig McCall, and the screening is free.

See the website for details.