HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To all followers and readers of this blog.

REWIND OUT ON DVD!

Picked up a copy of the already forgotten Irish movie Rewind. Seems to be only available on rental (or second hand), haven't seen it on sale in the shops?

BEST IRISH FILM OF 2011?

It's that time of year again where everyone selects their 'best of' from the last twelve months. So not to be left out Shoot the cabbage must select its own 'best' Irish film from this year. Well it's not The guard because that movie will be forgotten in a few years and wasn't that original anyway. So the best Irish film of the year (and decade probably) is ...

STRANGE COINCIDENCE?

Now today's newpapers are discussing a new Irish TV drama series aimed at children. Supposed to be good too. Maybe a decent Irish kids' movie is on the way if it succeeds?

WHY CAN'T WE MAKE DECENT KIDS' FILMS?

If there's one film genre more commercial than horror it's the kids' movie. Every cinema in the country has a film for kids. That's 52 weeks of the year too. So it puzzles Shoot the cababge that why or why are we not capable of making a ½-decent live-action film for younger viewers? From Summer of the flying saucer to Under the hawthorn tree to The race our efforts are laughable. Terrible acting, shoddy camera-work with bad lighting, too clean costumes, and a general feeling that the whole production is made by a Tops of the town local amateur theatre group! Something is wrong when we can't make a live-action kids' movie that succeeds at the box office. These kind of films have a target audience ready and waiting. All that's missing is a quality Irish filmmaker to work in this genre?

THE GUARD, AGAIN!

Now a short film from Domhnall Gleeson called Noreen gets shown on RTÉ television and it's remarkably similar to The guard. What's going on now? Even the our bleedin' short films are unoriginal now?

NO POST TOMORROW

Because it's Xmas day. So season's greeting to all followers and visitors!

Race

Laughably bad movie about go-kart racing in Northern Ireland. It's the Summer of the flying saucer school of filmmaking with bad acting, miscasting, lame direction, flat compositions, dead spots, zero pacing, and a look more suited to short films. The only good sequence was the race finale. Really bad stuff, so well done to our Film Board for funding this sh*te!

DUBLIN FILM CRITICS VOTE THE GUARD AS BEST IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR!

Sad that the best year for Irish films yet and the Dublin critics select The guard as the best one. It's not and they should know better. But this is the age of populism and our paid film critics buy into this. There were better Irish movies this years than The guard. Maybe not better performing at the box office but certainly superior as cinema.

DUBLIN CITY LIBRARIES

Have an impressive selection of Irish films on DVD for free rental including: the Bob Quinn features, Craic, Another shore, Honeymooners, and several other lesser-known titles. Most of the branches have these on their shelves.

WE SHOULD DO A KIM JONG-IL!

North Korea had a crap film industry. So instead of wasting millions of money on a useless film board they kidnapped a director from South Korea! To avoid making more rubbish next year why don't the Irish authorities kidnap a talented foreign director and get him (or her) to make movies here? Surely this would be a better idea than funding Kirsten Sheridan's next picture?

THE GUARD IS NOT AN IRISH MOVIE!

That's according to the London Film Critic's Circle awards where it has received a nomination for best BRITISH film!

ANOTHER POST ON THE GUARD!

Now today's Irish times newspaper is complaining that The guard is getting downloaded for free. The producers are moaning over financial losses yet they're giving away free DVDs to politicians?

IRISH POLITICIANS GET FREE DVD OF THE GUARD!

This badly lit and made movie which will be forgotten by the end of the decade is so acclaimed that the producers have sent a free DVD to every current Irish politician. No doubt the production company involved will receive a huge 'loan' from our Film Board next year. What will their next picture be called? How about 'Keeping in the good books'?

THE RACE DVD!

The already forgotten Irish movie The race is out now on DVD. A movie so bad that XtraVision only have it for sale and not for rental!

HAD A LOOK AT WEEKENDER

Dubliner Karl Golden's film about 1990's rave scene in Manchester. Terrible movie made by people who just weren't there. Many of the tunes on the soundtrack were released later on in the decade, the warehouse scenes were too brief, and the whole film too rushed and over-edited. Not much of a progress from The honeymooners?

PETER MCDONALD ON OSCAR LIST

The actor has turned director and his short film has been shortlisted for an Academny award nomination. That's what the Irish Film industry was set up for: to make short films and win Oscars!

JOHN FORD IRELAND

Seems the IFTA have help set up an organisation call John Ford Ireland. There's an award available that looks like a belt! The best John Ford movie was the non-Western Prisoner of Shark Island. Kind of a Shawshank redemption from the 1930s.

CHEERS MAURITIUS!

No sure where it is but someone from Mauritius has accessed this blog recently. So cheers!

IRISH FILM BOOKS: POWER IN THE EYE

One of the better reads this one is by Terry Byrne and has a good section on why Irish films don't work as well as they could. Other chapters include: censorship, Jordan and Sheridan, and made-for-TV films. Well worth buying.

BRENDA FRICKER AGAIN!

Back in the newspaper today. This time it's the Irish Mail on Sunday where it says she's appearing in a new movie about two lesbians who break out of hospital and pick up a male hitchhiker. Have these people never seen Themla and Louise?

BRENDA FRICKER AND DEPRESSION

Seems she's attempted suicide several times but thankfully failed. Very sad to read about this in the newspapers.

FILM BOARD BUDGET CUT!

They now have about €13½ million to help fund forgettable sh*te. Maybe if they stopped funding crap shorts and television stuff that money could be better spent? Also, how about stop funding stuff like All good children which is about as Irish as Hennessy brandy? Or even better, stop funding non-commercial rubbish like Perrier's bounty? This is Irish film indeed.

ONCE MUSICAL AGAIN!

Getting good reviews in New York, America, set in a pub and based on the famous Irish movie. Hope it makes it over here next year?

CAPITAL IRISH FILM FESTIVAL

Washington DC in America also an Irish film festival this week. Screenings include: All good children, As if I am not there, Lotus eaters, Parked, Rewind, Runway, and Sensation.

IRISH FILM BOOKS: SCREENING IRELAND

Lance Pettitt's bulky book published in 2000. Discusses mostly bland films such as The dawn, Odd man out, Far and away, Ryan's daughter, Commitments, and Quiet man.

AGNES BROWNE DVD RELEASE?

Seems the HMV website have an entry for a future DVD release of the Agnes Browne movie. Good stuff.

GRABBERS FOR SUNDANCE!

If you can't make horror films you make horror comedies. So it's no surprise that we make so many! The latest one is called Grabbers and is due a screening early next year at the prestigious Sundance festival.

I went down

One of the many 'lost' Irish films from the 1990s. So is it any good? Yes, it is. A gangster road movie with lots of good scenes, memorable dialogue, and a stripped-down story. Just out of prison McDonald travels to Cork to collect a guy wanted by a crime boss. Touches of the later Man about dog and even the famous short Six shooter. This well-paced crime movie is recommended.

I WENT DOWN ON DVD!

Finally, the long-lost Irish movie I went down has been released on Region 2 DVD. Review to follow.

A FILM BY JIM SHERIDAN

Well that was a waste of €10.50! Dreamhouse is not an Irish movie but is from one of our top directors. Messy, confusing, laughable, and not one bit scary. All that was missing was a deranged priest blessing the house. Like John Boorman's Exorcist 2 this one has ruined the director's reputation. Never rated Sheridan as a filmmaker anyway.