Punishment Park

Punishment Park

With the unforgettable images of Abu Ghraib still burned into our memories, and the conflict between civil liberties and the fight against terrorism occupying every front page, Ian Haydn Smith takes a timely look back at Punishment Park

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Sideways

Alexander Payne is one of the few directors working in mainstream Hollywood who seems able to translate intelligent filmmaking into critical success and popular appeal. Ian Haydn Smith applauds his latest movie

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De-Lovely

De-Lovely

The life of the celebrated composer Cole Porter comes to the big screen in this biopic starring Kevin Kline. The main talking point is the director’s decision to update the songs using contemporary performers – Ian Haydn Smith things it was a big mistake

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Northfork (DVD)

Northfork (DVD)

Michael and Mark Polish’s films explore strange, offbeat versions of modern America, and their new film reinevents the true story of Northfork, a typically American town on the verge of being drowned by a hydroelectic dam. Ian Haydn Smith is impressed

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Infernal Affairs (DVD)

Infernal Affairs (DVD)

Widely hailed as one of the smartest and most stylish thrillers in years, Infernal Affairs has already spawned two sequels in its home town of Hong Kong, but the original DVD has only just reached British shores. Ian Haydn Smith goes undercover

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Spiderman 2

Sam Raimi’s second instalment of the Spiderman story has been widely hailed as one of the best comic book adaptations ever, drawing praise from broadsheet newspapers and industry rags alike. Ian Haydn Smith applauds the best blockbuster of the summer

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Zatoichi

Takeshi Kitano is an unpredictable director, to say the very least. His films have ranged from tales of contemporary gangsters to quirky road movies, and now he’s taken on the classic Japanese genre – the samurai film. Ian Haydn Smith reports

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Trilogy

Multi-stranded narratives are all the rage these days, but Trilogy takes the concept to another level, following one story across three films, three genres, and a multitude of perspectives. Is it too clever for its own good? Ian Haydn Smith finds out

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The American Friend

The American Friend

Classic literary characters don’t always translate happily onto film, but Patricia Highsmith’s favourite anti-hero seems to have stood the cinematic test of time. Ian Haydn Smith looks back at the second big-screen outing for Mr Ripley

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Hulk

Ang Lee has never been a director defined by convention, but his latest project must be one of his most ambitious – and weirdest films yet. Ian Haydn Smith has a blast in the company of everyone’s favourite pea-green superhero

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Buffalo Soldiers

Buffalo Soldiers

Some of cinema’s greatest comedies have been made about the American military, but nervous executives kept this post-Cold War satire shelved for almost two years after September 11th. Ian Haydn Smith thinks it wasn’t worth the wait

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An Actor’s Revenge

An Actor’s Revenge

Kon Ichikawa was one of Japan’s most celebrated filmmakers, but outside his own country, his films have rarely received the attention they deserve. Ian Haydn Smith celebrates the DVD release of Ichikawa’s ‘magical blend of filmed theatre and expressionist cinema’

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