Man On Wire
In 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit strung up a cable between two corners of the World Trade Centre buildings in New York and went for an awe-inspiring stroll. Suddenly, the up-til-then ambivalent public response to the new constructions was converted into a fever of art-fuelled patriotism.
Sukiyaki Western Django
Sergio Leone has been a punchline for too long. Half the time someone faces off with an enemy - whether in comedy, soap opera, or sci-fi - suddenly we'll see close-up squinting and hear Morricone's whistled woo-WEE-woo-WEE-woooooo.
Yeah. They're like cowboys. We get it.
Cult-auteur Takashi Miike knows better, and his latest film is one long love letter to Leone.
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
In Hellboy, Guillermo Del Toro finds the big red muse that lets his artsy aesthetics and blockbuster tendencies combine into a glorious mess of pulp fiction.
Pan's Labyrinth? The Devil's Backbone? Blade 2, even? Del Toro only has one story, but tells it with such heartfelt glee and attention to detail that no one minds.
The Dark Knight
Chances are you've already decided if you're interested in seeing The Dark Knight, so I'll keep this short.
This is pure pop-mythology. That doesn't mean it's lightweight - masks and costumes mean it's bigger, even deeper, than real life, and it earns every heavy second of its epic running time. It's almost awkward at first, but these jitters are exactly the point.
MIFF First in Line
And finally, without rhyme or reason, a wildly non-exhaustive list of some films that made our cinematic spider-sense tingle on first flip through the program.
The eternally-underrated Terrence Davies' first film in eight years, Of Time and The City, is described as "both a love song and a eulogy" to his birthplace of Liverpool.
Mongol
Picture the screenwriters: they're brainstorming up the new Genghis Khan biopic and need some way to make the infamous 13th century Mongolian conqueror likeable for modern audiences. Witty catchphrase? Cute animal sidekick? What about Genghis Khan: Family Man?
Don't worry. There's still enough swordplay, revenge, battlefield tactics and bright-red blood here to warm the hearts of anyone who spent hours drawing complicated battle scenes in the backs of their schoolbooks.
Molto Morte
Your extensive Italian language and Spaghetti Western experience will tell you that this project involves ‘much death'. Being that ThreeThousand rarely receives an entertainment offer so tempting, we sent a reporter...
Excerpt from a transcription of The Safari Team's location hunt:
- Excuse me, is this the hellishly shambolic handmade cinema cave we saw advertised?
- Yes, but Mr Tarantino has already booked it.
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