I suppose such ugly subject matter deserves such an ugly film, but it’s disappointing nonetheless in the case of Snowtown, the unrelentingly grisly first-time feature from Australian director Justin Kurzel that struggles to build an emotional rapport with its audience.

True story or not, screenwriter Shaun Grant’s dramatic retelling of the famed “Body in Barrels” murders is in desperate need of a sympathetic character who can uphold a sense of humanity, [...]

As much as I enjoy watching and critiquing movies, I would much rather be the one making them. When it was announced that we would be required to make a short film for my Bachelor of Media University degree at Adelaide University, I jumped at the opportunity to finally be behind the camera. But having never made a short film before, it was both a daunting and exciting experience to be appointed director and writer (as well as co-editor and co-sound designer). It was also a great challenge since we had a budget of $0 and only a few weeks to complete the film before submitting it for grading.
The final product, which is entitled Elevator (how original!), can be viewed below. It’s a thriller about a young couple, Alex (Edward Gilmore) and Sarah (Briony Kent), who get caught inside a malfunctioning elevator. What starts as in inconvenience becomes a nightmare as the elevator starts to act more and more irrationally, actively denying their avenues of escape, forcing them to question whether there’s something more  sinister at play.

I’m excited to announce that at the recent 2009 Annual Lammy awards over at The Large Association of Movie Blogs (LAMB), Cut Print Review walked away clutching the Best Use of Widgetology Award!

What’s Widgetology you ask? Well, that would be the art of designing widgets (the navigation blocks on the right hand side of the website) so that they are intuitive, easy to use and stylish! It sounds trivial, but the importance of having an easily navigated website should not be underestimated, which is why I am greatly humbled by the award. It was just as gratifying to be runner-up in the Best Blog Design category, which was deservingly won by Stacia of She Blogged By Night – Congrats! Thank you dearly to all the LAMB’s who voted for this site, to the honourable competition and to everyone who has helped Cut Print Review grow since the site opened its doors last September.

Most of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the wondrous Dylan (aka Fletch) of Blog Cabins. He is the brains behind The LAMB; a fantastic association that connects more than 300 movie bloggers from all around the globe. Few have the generosity and drive to devote so much time to such a excellent initiative, whilst also upholding a fantastic film blog separately. If you have a film blog and are looking to get some recognition, you’d be crazy to not join the LAMB. It’s simple, it’s free and it’s rewarding!

Last month was a biggie for Cut Print Review. From film festivals to new contributors to a radically different background (instead of grey, it’s now BLUE!!!); so much has happened I feel the need to give a bit of an update. So read onward for just that!