CHEERS SOUTH KOREA!

First Uganda and now South Korea! Who's reading this blog over there? Is it because of the posts on Irish movie Korea?

IRELAND'S GREATEST ACTORS: STEPHEN BOYD

Another great screen actor from Northern Ireland. Boyd appeared in famous films including Ben Hur, Fall of the Roman empire, and Fantastic voyage. Sadly completely forgotten now.

NOT ANOTHER IRISH HORROR-COMEDY?

Big news today* as a new Irish horror-comedy movie is getting made here. It's called Grabbers and is about 'squid-like creatures from the sea'. For fu*k sake, haven't we made enough of these films already? Haven't we done enough 'damage' to Irish cinema with these wretched films? They're not horrific enough. They're not comic enough. No-one cares about these films. Horror fans don't care. Comedy fans don't care. No-one will pay money to see these titles. No-one will buy the DVD. When we can't make serious horror who in their right mind expects us to make 'irreverent comedy horror'. Cue the using acting 'talent' in this country playing their roles for laughs. Cue the extremely loud and inappropriate sound effects. Cue the complete unoriginality. Cue the complete sh*teness of the whole project. Cue the over-promotion and adverts everywhere. It'll be sh*te. Just like Boy eat girl was sh*te.
* Irish Daily Mail

FILM BOARD BUDGET CUT BY 3%

Which is less than the unemployeds' payments got cut! Of course nothing will change: the IFB will still measure success in terms of Academy Award nominations, getting their films screened at the famous festivals, and funding high-profile television productions. Nothing will change. They will still fund expensive shorts, they will still give money to foreign productions filming here, they will still shout about their one success while quietly ignoring the dross that they fund, and they will still try to promote extremely average, unoriginal, and voiceless productions across the globe as 'New Irish cinema'. As one audience member recently asked on RTE's The Frontline: 'There has to be an alternative?'

CHEERS UGANDA!

Just want to say: Whoever's reading this blog from Uganda, Africa, cheers!

IRELAND'S GREATEST ACTORS: GEORGE BRENT

A genuine IRA man, Offaly-born Brent had a very impressive filmography (mostly with Bette Davis): 42nd street, Jezebel, Dark victory, Old maid, Great lie, In this our life, and Spiral staircase. Seems to be completely forgotten now?

IRELAND'S GREATEST ACTORS: UNA O'CONNOR

Which Irish actress has the most impressive filmography? Invisible man, Informer, Bride of Frankenstein, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Adventures of Robin Hood, Sea hawk, How green was my valley, Bells of St Mary's, Cluny Brown, Witness for the prosecution, and lots of other lesser-known titles. Northern Irish actress Una O'Connor was an instantly recognisable face in Hollywood movies from the '30s and '40s. Her voice was memorable too!

TEN REASONS WHY KOREA IS THE BEST IRISH MOVIE OF THE '90S!

Ask most people with an interest in Irish cinema: What is the best title from the 1990s? - they'll probably say something like In the name of the father, Michael Collins, or The Commitments. All very famous and award-winning movies. What very few will select is a little-seen film from 1995 called Korea. Here are ten reasons why it gets the Shoot the Cabbage vote.

When the sky falls

Before Veronica Guerin there was When the sky falls. As this movie didn't receive 'official' approval it's been long forgotten. Shame, as Allen is impressive in the lead role. There's a good scene where she gets hassled by a group of skangers (Ireland's own Dead End kids: Gavin Kelty and pals). The main problem is that like the other version this is more of a routine TV drama. While other countries came out with Dogma 95, Irish cinema in the 1990s was more interested in using the ITV crime-drama template. Names are changed but you can figure out who's who.

Title: When the sky falls
Genre: Biopic
New/old: Old
Cinema/DVD: DVD

Adam and Paul

One of the best Irish movies from the last decade. Like a Laurel and Hardy film directed by Leigh or Jarmusch! Best parts were the 'non-glamourisation' of Dublin and the row in the shop. Another good scene was the visit to the 'baba'. A good film made by an intelligent filmmaker with something to say instead of the by usual award-winning, overtrained hacks.

R.I.P. IRVIN KERSHNER

Big news that the director of the best of the Star Wars movies has died. So why is he mentioned on an Irish cinema blog? Because back in the '60s he directed one of the best movies about an Irish emigrant called The luck of Ginger Coffey. Set in Canada it told the story of a middle-aged Irishman whose marriage fails when he can't find a job. Now that's the kind of movie our 'film industry' should be making again?