Relationship struggles in films often centre on a clash of personalities when concerning one thing or another. When it’s hard to pay the rent or falling out of love, couples turn on each other to point the finger and find someone to blame. What Hollywood rarely depicts is the influence of a disorder in a relationship, especially those where social capabilities are limited. Perhaps it fails on their romantic scale, which is strange because there’s certainly enough emotive power to ride that out. If it’s good enough to be ‘It’ writer Diablo Cody’s latest project (with TV’s United States of Tara), then it must have value.

It’s hard to keep in touch with teenage trends as the generation becomes savvier with technology and no less moody. Influences from all directions bombard them in their quest to be edgier, and in 2009 what sets the cool kids apart are apparently names with silent letters. Oh, and you can’t forget the decade’s indie influence either. So when these two combine with High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens, a battle of the bands competition and quirky sidekicks you get Bandslam. It’s not the musical everyone might be expecting and there’s not as much cheese either, but it’s fun without too much camp.

This article was in the pipeline before we received the news of John Hughes’ death, so it’s with a bowed head as we bring this to you now. To know that he’s gone brings a different mood to what’s written below, as we mourn such a big loss. And it is a big loss, perhaps more than many would think. This isn’t a purely subjective opinion either, as we all know he reinvigorated the teen genre throughout the 80s – but more than that he reinvented it, bringing a sense of urgency to teenage issues that inspired many trends and filmmakers alike. Just as importantly, he created the ‘Brat Pack’. Even before his death, his name was written in the Hollywood history books as the teen guru and now we are left with a legacy of films that will truly stand against time.

If there’s one thing taken from life on this Earth, it’s that some people don’t get the opportunity for a big break. No matter how hard they try. Then there are those that get close, usually on more than one occasion, but just can’t finalise the dream. For one reason or another, the latter would best describe the story of Anvil, the 1980s band that influenced the heavy-metal sounds of Metallica and Motorhead. Never heard of them? Perhaps that’s because they could well be Canada’s unluckiest bunch. But the bitterness is minimal; Sacha Gervasi’s documentary reveals a soft side to a metal exterior.

The story of Coraline and her fantastical adventures is momentous – but not only because it’s the latest project from The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick. The film breaks a lot of milestones: at 100 minutes it’s the longest stop-motion feature ever, and the first to be shot entirely in 3D. Not to mention it’s the first venture from animation company LAIKA, and boy do they have big expectations riding on their shoulders with this one. But with the stunning visual experience that comes as we’re taken between what our heroine has and what she thinks she wants, it’s just not the animated masterpiece many were hoping for.

Australia’s crime and its underworld are wealthy sources full of story ideas, but while TV audiences have been recently spoilt with the likes of Underbelly and East West 101 moviegoers have hardly received the same treatment. The same seems to apply with ethnic representations; characters with European backgrounds largely outweigh those of Middle Eastern descent. With Sydney’s drug scene as the focus of Cedar Boys we see young Lebanese-Australians enter the criminal world to make a quick buck – but it’s clear that they’re not the bad guys.

Ah, how Hollywood presents so many possibilities. Its two biggest child stars, Dakota Fanning and Abigail Breslin, in the one film? Sounds intriguing enough, and for My Sister’s Keeper it looked to be a go, but Fanning eventually pulled out (allegedly for refusing to shave her head) and the dream pairing was gone. The first Jodi Picoult novel to be adapted for cinemas has more than its fair share of A-listers, and as one of her biggest sellers the film has fielded high expectations. As an adaptation it will satisfy most fans, and as a stand-alone film it is beautifully crafted.

Films within cinema’s spectrum that have the most interesting of back-stories are more often than not forgotten over time. This doesn’t exclude the Australian industry, where unless there is a large public interest the stories remain largely untold. Thankfully, the National Film and Sound Archive has taken an interest in resolving the issue and has stepped forward with the digital restoration of Wake In Fright. The history behind this film is remarkable, and audiences deserve to know what a shame it would’ve been had this film been destroyed.