CHARLIE CASANOVA MURAL!

In Temple Bar. What's that about? Is this going to be the first proper Irish cult movie in years?

Haywire

There nothing better than seeing the streets you walk each day appearing on the big screen. Set around the Shelbourne Hotel there's a great chase scene on the rooftops along Abbey Street. The rest of the movie is rather dull but watchable (impressive music). It's about a woman who recalls her adventures in Ireland and Spain as various people try to kill her. Some of the action scenes are silly but what would you expect from this kind of picture? Enjoyed that chase sequence from Stephen's Green onto Grafton Street (with a race through my local Burger King!).

WHERE'S THE IRISH ROBOT MONSTER?

Doubt many have even heard of this movie but it's one of those grade Z sci-fi efforts from the 1950s. Cheaply and badly made with lots of unintentionally funny and bizarre scenes. Yet once seen it's not forgotten unlike most Irish feature films. So here are the questions: do we really need another Kirsten Sheridan movie; do we really need another Dublin gangster film; do we really need another contrived comedy about two mismatched men in a strange Irish location? No, no, and no. What Irish cinema needs is something along the lines of Robot monster!

CHARLIE CASANOVA WEBSITE EXPIRES!

Seems the offical website for the new Irish movie Charlie Casanova has gone! The film hasn't even been released yet. Looks like another post-production loan is needed from our Film Board!

BLOCKBUSTER YEAR?

Another Sindo newspaper article on the 'excellent' prospects for this year! As usual it's hype and more hype. A new Neil Jordan movie is on the way. 'This is the start of a stellar year for Irish film' says the paper with Dollhouse and Shadow dancer on the way. Then there's At swim two birds to get made soon. So here's a question: has anyone been to see Haywire? This was one of the hyped films made here recently and is getting terrible and one-star reviews. So why does the Sindo think that all of these new Irish releases will be 'blockbusters'? In fact this blog predicts that ALL of these Irish titles will FAIL at the box office in 2012/13. The Irish Film industry is all about hyping new titles and then quietly forgetting about these titles when they get a release. When a quality low-budget Irish film comes out e.g. Once no-one here notices until it does well abroad.

SHADOW DANCER

Latest IRA movie and it supposed to have gotten a good reception at Sundance. Even better the British are naturally calling it a British film while the Irish press are calling it an 'Irish, English and French' co-production!

HMV IRISH SELECTION?

They have more Irish DVDs in the non-Irish sections than on those shelves! Someone needs to tell them that not all Irish movies have a shamrock/sheep/IRA/Roddy Doyle title on the cover! They'll probably be closing down this year anyway.

VOLTA ONLINE

Big noise this week about Volta launching an online movie site. Thing is they've been out for ages. You either view or download a movie. Lots of Irish titles but they're actually cheaper to buy on DVD. However several Irish titles seem to only be availabe from their site?

OSCARS ARE BULLSH*T!

Even more Irish nomations with a second short listed this year. So is this what our film industry is all about? Almost twenty years in existence and our Film Board is a 'success' because of these nominations? Where's the Irish feature film that receives ten Oscar nominations? Is our film industry set up to produce good short films yet bad features? Where are the Irish cult movies? The ones that don't win awards yet find a devoted audience? Where are the short films that get expanded into great features ala Napoleon Dynamite or Dark Star? There's something wrong when this country is a great place to work - if you make short films?

OSCARS LIST!

Actor/director Peter McDonald has receive a nomination for his short film. No doubt the Irish press will go into full hype mode when they find out! Also, the film Albert Nobbs has received an acting nomination.

IFTA TO GIVE FINNOULA FLANAGAN A LIFETIME AWARD

When they screen a montage of her appearances will they include the scene from Yes man when her character offers Jim Carrey oral sex?