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.

Even though fabricated documentaries – dubbed ‘mockumentaries’ – have been around for a while, they really only garnered mainstream appeal in 2001 with the acclaimed British sit-com The Office starring Ricky Gervais. Success struck again in 2006 with Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen’s crude dissertation of American culture, and the hilarious Australian mock-doc Kenny, which followed around a plumber as he installed portable toilets. But note that each of these examples, like nearly all mockumentaries, double as comedies. This is why director Joel Anderson’s feature debut Lake Mungo is such an inspired piece of filmmaking. Not only is it a mockumentary, but it’s also a horror film, and a damn effective one at that.

While I’ve been laughing at horror films for years, I can’t remember the last time I laughed with one. That’s what separates Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell from the recent genre offerings; not only is it genuinely scary, it’s also outrageously funny. And for once, it’s intentional.

It walks a similar line between comedy and horror that Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror did in 2007, although with more goo in place of gore. Raimi himself is certainly no stranger to the genre hybrid; before Spider-man turned his pupils into big green dollar signs, he was one of the first to explore the funny side of dismemberment in the classic Evil Dead series. Well Raimi’s well and truly back folks, and if this is what it’s like being dragged to hell, I might just have to make a reservation.

Politicians and journalists might not see eye to eye in the real world, but the two go together brilliantly in Kevin Macdonald’s (The Last King of Scotland) State of Play, making for one of the most captivating political thrillers of the past decade.  With a stellar cast and an devilishly clever screenplay, State of Play defies the norm and manages to live up to the high precedence set by the [...]

Death and religion are always touchy subjects in film and in life, but Javier Fesser was unperturbed as he went along creating Camino. The writer-director was inspired by a cancer victim that touched the hearts of Spain, and Alexia González-Barros’ story inspired him to create a tale showing different ideas of faith. Shockingly, Australia is the only country outside of Spain to have Camino on wide release, considering its 6 Goya Award wins…

Clay animation is quite possibly the most painstaking process of filmmaking, especially when you consider it took Adam Elliot five years to make Mary & Max, his first feature length clay-animated film since 2003′s Oscar winning short Harvie Krumpet.  It’s a process few left in the industry still have the patience and passion to undertake, two qualities that Adam Elliot infinitely exerts. Mary & Max is unquestionably a labour of such love, one that has proven to be worth the time and effort.  The animation is superb, characters endearing, humour abundant and topical themes honestly and thoroughly explored.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, but when it comes to testing the acting chops of any thespian, I’d say French cinema is the primary place to go about such measures. No fancy props. No extreme special effects. A lot of close up, careful camera work that relies on the actors knowing how important executing pauses, facial and bodily expressions, and the delivery of their lines are. Of course, beautiful scenery is helpful, and is usually plentiful, whether filming in Paris or in the south of France.

 As well as being the title, A Film With Me In It is also how I expect Irish comedian Dylan Moran would refer to his latest black comedy. This is because I’ve recently come to the realisation that Moran has simply made a career playing himself; after gaining notoriety as bookshop owner Bernard Black in the brilliant British sitcom Black Books, Moran’s perpetually drunk character quickly became the driving force of his stage show as well as the only redeeming aspect of 2007′s Run Fat Boy Run. Now in this small time Irish film written by and starring Mark Doherty, Moran is back playing Doherty’s alcoholic neighbour Pierce. But for someone who’s made a career out of being a compete loser, Moran’s latest comedy is a complete winner. Not only is A Film With Me In It is on par with last years In Bruges on the darkness scale, it also manages to be wildly funny thanks Doherty’s script and Dylan Moran being, well, Dylan Moran.