I think this film I bought at the market is a knock-off.
It’s called ‘Wonky’ and stars Temu-thée Chalamet.
Category / Cinema
Kunitsu-Gami – a brilliant underrated Switch 2 launch title flying under the radar
If you’ve been excitedly waiting for the delivery of your new Switch 2, chances are you’ve already decided on what games to buy. You aren’t short of options! One of the launch bundles includes Mario Kart World, which is the biggest title out on release day and the flagship game that Nintendo are pushing., whilst a few other big hitters are on the radar from the likes of Zelda and Sonic.
I suspect most people are also going to have another game on the way, be that Street Fighter 6 or maybe one of the Zelda upgrades. Perhaps some have opted to pre-order the Mario Party or Donkey Kong games that will hit the shelves next month.
Whilst most of the launch titles are available in physical form, one title seems to be flying under the radar a bit, and I can honestly say it’s one of the best games I’ve played recently.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a beautiful game that’s awash with Japanese folklore. In it, you play as Soh, a warrior on a mission to return the legandary Mount Kafuku to peace, free from evil spirit monsters and defilements, and guide the divine maiden Yoshiro back to the peak of the mountain in safety.
The genre is officially an action-strategy, but in reality it is part tower defence and part third-person slasher. You get a full daytime to prepare your village, converting villagers into different ability classes and placing them around the fighting area to strategically defend against an onslaught of monsters (“seethe”) when nightfall hits.
The music plays a huge part in building the atmosphere. Chikara Aoshima provided 53 tracks that range from twee musical background music to full-on nightmare. As night time approaches, the tension builds as you frantically rebuild structures around the village, search for items that will help your cause and generally begin to panic that you didn’t quite have enough time. The balance always feels just perfect – you can’t do everything and you have to prioritise what you think will help you most.
Visually it is a stunning proposition. It’s a Capcom game directed by Shuichi Kawata, who previously brought us Resident Evil 4 and 5, along with Shinsekai: Into The Depths.
It’s a substantial game, taking me over 70 hours to complete New Game+ when I played through on the Xbox Series X. There are further benefits to aim for by playing through New Game+ several times over, though I haven’t gone down that route yet.
It’s also full of horror visuals so is certainly not one for children!
If you find yourself wanting an extra game to supplement Mario Kart World this weekend, you could do much worse than give this a go. If you do, be prepared to lose a good few months to this wonderful game!
Happy ‘Heaven Can Wait’ day!!
10:17am on 20th March 2025.
The date and time that Warren Beatty’s character Joe Pendleton is scheduled to die in the 1978 film ‘Heaven Can Wait’.
Today is the day. Now is the time in fact!
‘Heaven Can Wait’ is quite a strange film. Starring Beatty alongside the likes of Julie Christie, James Mason and Buck Henry, it tells the story of an American footballer named Joe Pendleton who almost dies, but is taken to heaven by an over-eager administrator. Having never supposed to leave Earth, he is given a second chance at life as a rich industrial called Leo Farnsworth, who himself is due to die imminently following an attempted murder by his wife and her lover.
If that sounds complicated, the reality is a little less daunting. It breezes along at a nice pace, with whimsical musical cues and engaging dialogue. When Julie Christie’s Betty Logan looks longingly into Beatty’s eyes, there is real chemistry on screen. That they had previously been romantically linked comes as no surprise to me – I was born in the 1980s so was unaware of their relationship.
A cute romantic comedy that provokes thought without ever really feeling too taxing.
Celebrate by watching the trailer below then wondering why you’ve never seen the film before.
BAFTAs 2025 – Full list of winners
Best film
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – WINNER!
Emilia Pérez
Outstanding British film
Bird
Blitz
Conclave – WINNER!
Gladiator II
Hard Truths
Kneecap
Lee
Love Lies Bleeding
The Outrun
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Hoard, Luna Carmoon (director, writer)
Kneecap, Rich Peppiatt (director, writer) – WINNER!
Monkey Man, Dev Patel (director)
Santosh, Sandhya Suri (director, writer), James Bowsher (producer), Balthazar De Ganay (producer) [also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge]
Sister Midnight, Karan Kandhari (director, writer)
Best film not in the English language
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez – WINNER!
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best documentary
Black Box Diaries
Daughters
No Other Land
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – WINNER!
Will & Harper
Best animated film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – WINNER!
The Wild Robot
Best children’s & family film
Flow
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – WINNER!
The Wild Robot
Best director
Anora, Sean Baker
The Brutalist, Brady Corbet – WINNER!
Conclave, Edward Berger
Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve
Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat
Best original screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
Kneecap
A Real Pain – WINNER!
The Substance
Best adapted screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave – WINNER!
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Best leading actress
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Mikey Madison, Anora – WINNER!
Demi Moore, The Substance
Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun
Best leading actor
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist – WINNER!
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Hugh Grant, Heretic
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Best supporting actress
Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez – WINNER!
Best supporting actor
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain – WINNER!
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Best casting
Anora – WINNER!
The Apprentice
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Kneecap
Best cinematography
The Brutalist – WINNER!
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
Best editing
Anora
Conclave – WINNER!
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Kneecap
Best costume design
Blitz
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Nosferatu
Wicked – WINNER!
Best make up and hair
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance – WINNER!
Wicked
Best original score
The Brutalist – WINNER!
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot
Best production design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked – WINNER!
Best sound
Blitz
Dune: Part Two – WINNER!
Gladiator II
The Substance
Wicked
Best special visual effects
Better Man
Dune: Part Two – WINNER!
Gladiator II
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Best British short animation
Adiós
Mog’s Christmas
Wander to Wonder – WINNER!
Best British short film
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
Marion
Milk
Rock, Paper, Scissors – WINNER!
Stomach Bug
Rising star award
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
David Jonsson – WINNER!
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan
BAFTAs 2024 – Full list of winners
Best film
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
Outstanding British film
All of Us Strangers
How to Have Sex
Napoleon
The Old Oak
Poor Things
Rye Lane
Saltburn
Scrapper
Wonka
The Zone of Interest – WINNER!
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Blue Bag Life – Lisa Selby (director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (director, producer), Alex Fry (producer)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President – Christopher Sharp (director)
Earth Mama – Savanah Leaf (writer, director, producer), Shirley O’Connor (producer), Medb Riordan (producer) – WINNER!
How to Have Sex – Molly Manning Walker (writer, director)
Is There Anybody Out There? – Ella Glendining (director)
Best film not in the English language
20 Days in Mariupol
Anatomy of a Fall
Past Lives
Society of the Snow
The Zone of Interest – WINNER!
Best documentary
20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER!
American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
Wham!
Best animated film
The Boy and the Heron – WINNER!
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best director
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Best original screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall – WINNER!
Barbie
The Holdovers
Maestro
Past Lives
Best adapted screenplay
All of Us Strangers
American Fiction – WINNER!
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best leading actress
Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Vivian Oparah, Rye Lane
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things – WINNER!
Best leading actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Teo Yoo, Past Lives
Best supporting actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers
Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest
Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers – WINNER!
Best supporting actor
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Jacob Elordi, Saltburn
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers
Best casting
All of Us Strangers
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers – WINNER!
How to Have Sex
Killers of the Flower Moon
Best cinematography
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best editing
Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best costume design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER!
Best makeup and hair
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER!
Best original score
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer – WINNER!
Poor Things
Saltburn
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best production design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things – WINNER!
The Zone of Interest
Best sound
Ferrari
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest – WINNER!
Best special visual effects
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Poor Things – WINNER!
Best British short animation
Crab Day – WINNER!
Visible Mending
Wild Summon
Best British short film
Festival of Slaps
Gorka
Jellyfish and Lobster – WINNER!
Such a Lovely Day
Yellow
EE Rising Star award (voted for by the public)
Phoebe Dynevor
Ayo Edebiri
Jacob Elordi
Mia McKenna-Bruce – WINNER!
Sophie Wilde
I’ve cancelled Netflix… and it’s brilliant
When my wife and I moved into our first home together, we decided to subscribe to Netflix. Not long before, I’d cancelled LoveFilm (remember that?!) and we’d set up our internet so wanted to test the waters.
At the time, picking and choosing what to watch on a TV in HD was revolutionary, and the choice was phenomenal. As time progressed, we watched some great series on the blossoming service: Breaking Bad, Orange Is The New Black, Glow, Stranger Things. All our friends were watching the same things. We had great discussions.
As time progressed, more streaming platforms appeared. Amazon Prime Video, with its confusing is-this-included-or-not interface. Now TV, which is home to most of the biggest blockbusters. Apple TV appeared with almost no content, but what it did have was excellent. BFI Player. MUBI. Paramount+. Lionsgate+. Everything was the price of a couple of pints and offered endless options.
Except, it isn’t the price of a pint if you have most or all of them. And you can’t keep up with the content. And nobody is watching anything you’re watching anymore because nobody has the same subscriptions.
So, a month ago we cancelled our Sky subscription. Tomorrow we ditch Netflix. As the cut-off time approaches, we’ve been really focusing on what we do and don’t want to watch. I’ve finally burned through Cobra Kai. I had a brilliant time watching Succession unfold. I’ve watched lovingly-created documentaries about David Beckham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robbie Williams.
Do I think I’ll miss any of it? Not really. What’s left is Apple TV+ on a trial, BFI Player (the one I really enjoy having) and my wife’s Amazon Prime account, which we’ve never really explored. There are a few things on each we want to watch, but I don’t think we’ll be paying for them for much longer.
Importantly, I never went as far as ditching my DVDs and Blu-Rays. Many of my friends did, only to find that their beloved series or film has vanished from their chosen streaming platform. Many DVDs are sat in charity shop bargain bins, waiting for someone to pick them up. I for one love rummaging in a charity shop, and often find a cool CD or vinyl in there.
I predict DVDs will have a resurgence in the near future. Because spending £1 on five films you keep forever has to be better than paying £150 a year just to watch those same episodes of Friends you like.
Why you should follow your heart and watch the Netflix Robbie docuseries
I’ve been a fan of Robbie Williams as a musician and a character for most of my life, which is incredible to think of really. I bought his first single at the age of 11, and he hasn’t had an album that I haven’t bought, listened to and enjoyed in some way since then. Some people would class him as a guilty pleasure, but that’s not where he sits for me. Sure, I happily walk around in my Bowie t-shirts or tag myself at Guns N Roses gigs, but I absolutely don’t mind telling anyone that I love the music of Robbie Williams.
I’ve seen this four-part documentary series getting slammed in the press, and I wonder why this is. I think Mr Williams has always walked a fine line between love and hate with the media. He’s a figure that sells, a bit like certain members of the royal family. This trickles down to readers of whatever media is talking about him, and most people don’t have time anymore to read beyond the headlines.
So, when a review starts with a line saying that this documentary is just Robbie yabbing on in his pants watching a laptop, it does it a great disservice.
Robbie Williams is factually one of the most successful musical performers to come from the UK, and this documantary is a unique look into where he is at in 2023. It references his past but the really interesting thing is what the man feels about his life, as he looks back on his life a few months before he turns 50. And it is absolutely captivating. It’s not a documentary about Robbie Williams recording Angels, or going to rehab, or releasing a comeback album. It’s about what his take on it is now, and that is a really genius framing for a documentary.
If you’ve ever enjoyed the music of Robbie Williams, or Take That, this is an important piece of the puzzle to understanding how he thinks. Don’t let a negative review convince you to not watch it.
You know you want to.
Haiku film review #117 – Talk To Me
Teens at a party
Grasp a wizened old dead hand
And see dead people
Film review: LOLA (Andrew Legge, 2023)
LOLA is a beautifully constructed science fiction tale that is as innovative as it is chilling.
Directed by Andrew Legge in his directorial debut, it tells the story of sisters Thomasina (Emma Appleton) and Martha (Stefanie Martini), who together invent a machine that transmits television broadcasts from the future. Initially using it to discover cultural touchpoints 30 years ahead of time, they then switch it to the war effort. After they use it to help prevent a German attack on British soldiers, they are enlisted by the Allied Forces and begin coordinating defence strategies with Lieutenant Sebastien Holloway (Rory Fleck-Byrne).
In LOLA, Legge has created a deeply rich alternative world that plays out with a good pace to great effect. The storytelling technique utilised is innovative and delivered with great aplomb by the two leads, each bringing humour and realism to their respective roles. Neither steals the show, instead complimenting each other with natural comradery.
With a 79-minute running time, there isn’t scope to slow down and the length and pace feels perfect. It’s an exciting debut and one that rightly has those that discover it wondering what Legge will come up with next.
Film review – Medusa Deluxe (Thomas Hardiman, 2022)
Thomas Hardiman’s stylishly gritty debut finds a new setting for a well-worn path. The story unfolds around a murder that takes place during a hairdressing competition, meshing together neatly with some strong performances from the entire cast, creating a powerful piece of cinema.
Murder mysteries have come back into fashion in recent times. Two ensemble blockbuster franchises have helped bring this wave of popularity to people’s attention – Rian Johnson’s Knives Out and Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot – but the genre doesn’t need a host of A-listers to succeed.
In a way Medusa Deluxe operates in exactly the same way. It is an ensemble piece, with none of the all-British cast standing out as significantly more established than the next, although a few are certainly recognisable. Their interactions and interplay are the real star.
It’s impossible to watch the film without the awareness that this is a one-shot labour if love. Admittedly, there are a few points where there is an obvious cut in the action, but even in the handful of long shots this represents a mammoth undertaking that almost gives Boiling Point a run for its money.
There is a verve to the performances that really disconcerted me as a viewer. Clare Perkins starts the film overflowing with anger as hardened hairdresser Cleve, and only ramps up further as her colleagues and models shrink with nervousness. Harriet Webb brings an element of sympathy to her prickly take on Kendra, which is an important part of the story.
Despite a few moments of heavy-handedness, the really shocking moments of Medusa Deluxe will stick with you for a while after watching. The one-shot approach is an interesting element that brings urgency but the real draw here is an intriguing story and some top-drawer performances from a strong cast.
Cinema, etc. 