The Irish Film Institute’s annual Horrorthon kicked off on Thursday and continues over the long weekend, wrapping up on Monday evening. With a mix of Irish premieres of upcoming horror movies and screenings of beloved classics, highlights include John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness; 78/52, a documentary that looks exclusively at the iconic shower scene from Psycho; and The Endless, the latest from the acclaimed writer-director duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. You can see the full lineup at ifi.ie/horrorthon
If horror isn’t your thing, how about some romance? Call Me by Your Name is a dreamlike ’80s set drama that focusses on the burgeoning relationship between an American teenager (Timothee Chalamet) and the college intern (Armie Hammer) who comes to stay at his family’s Italian villa for the summer. Arguably the most romantic movie of the year, this is the very definition of a feel good experience.
Breathe is exactly the sort of bland biopic that clogs up cinema screens at this time of year, when filmmakers are desperate to be included in the ‘Awards Season’ conversation. Andrew Garfield is very watchable as disabled advocate Robin Cavendish, as is Claire Foy as his inspirational wife, but there’s a severe lack of drama here, and it’s a film that’s difficult to invest in.
Thanks to the likes of Logan and Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2017 has been a decent year for comic book movies, but it’s back to boredom with Thor: Ragnarok, the latest from Marvel. This one veers closest to the tone of the Guardian of the Galaxy movies, so if that’s your thing you’ll no doubt have a blast with this one. For the rest of us, this is a Hollywood fad that’s decidedly run its course.
By Eric Hillis of themoviewaffler.com