HOW IRISH WAS MY LEFT FOOT?

Well my leg is fully Irish from being born here! But the classic 'Irish' movie My left foot may not actually be? That's according to Shoot the cabbage's extensive research! Apparently there's an article in the Evening Herald newspaper from 08 July 1992 where one hundred European movies were funded to get a video release under a certain label. However, My left foot was turned down the chance to appear in this collection as it was not considered an Irish film! That's because the criterion was that each film had to be funded by their own country. So now you know! So much for the Leaving Cert programme and the various Irish film festivals around the world screening this movie
year after year!

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 3: SCIENCE FICTION

Not much to write about here and Zonad doesn't count! The most recent one was Summer of the flying saucer which was really aimed at kids. Before that there was Sunset Heights which was a futuristic-gangster movie. Before that there was Catholics which was a futuristic religious movie. That's about it. Plenty of scope for Irish filmmakers to increase the quantity and even quality?

LEIGH ARNOLD!

Great to see someone mouthing off about the Irish Film Industry. This time it's actress Leigh 'Failed her Leaving Cert because of bullying' Arnold who is getting acclaim in America for her role in Charlie Casanova*. She has now left Ireland and complains about the fact that no-one wanted to know about her movie here. Hope she does better in the States than Caroline Morahan?
* Today's Irish Mail on Sunday

Shell shock

Anyone remember Triage? Even one person? It was the Colin Farrell movie funded by the IFB that illustrated the healthy and bright future for Irish cinema. However, after failing to get a theatrical release it now creeps out on DVD under a new title. So what's it about? Farrell plays a war photographer in Iraq and suffers from shell shock (get it?) when he returns to Dublin City centre (off Denmark Street). You know exactly what this movie looks like: Quality cinematography and battle scenes with Farrell shouting 'don't shoot'! We've seen this stuff before in Hollywood movies like Salvador and Under fire. What makes this movie interesting is that it's set in the late '80s and there's an impressive party scene where the cast dance to New Order and Belouis Some. Even better is the arrival of Christopher Lee and it's bizarre seeing him sitting on a beer keg in a Dublin lane! But it's hard to feel sorry for Farrell as it's no-one's fault he travelled to Iraq is it? Also, for such a dull character he has lots of friends and helpers? Worth a look and better than most Irish rubbish that gets screened in our cinemas!

IRISH FILM GENRES PART 2: EMIGRATION

Topical theme these days with all of the overeducated Celtic Tiger morons crying and heading away to 'better' countries. Suppose these films could be divided into the lands they are set in. While there are lots of films about the Irish abroad these are different to the ones directly dealing with emigration. The ones on Britain (Kings, I could read the sky) deal with miserable old men looking back on their wasted years. The ones on America (Beyond the pale, In America, Gold in the streets) deal with younger and less angry people. The ones in Canada (Luck of Ginger Coffey) deal with the hardships that emigration can cause. The ones in Australia (Under Capricorn) deal with the acceptance of ambitious Irish trying to escape their past. Strange that there are no recent examples with the current recession but that's Irish cinema for you - out of touch as usual!

WHERE'S WAKE WOOD PART 2?

Seems it's only getting a theatrical release in Donegal. Donegal! Even the world's top Irish Film Blog is not prepared visit that kip! The land of Daniel O'Donnell and massive unemployment. Supposed to be getting a DVD release next week anyway.

Best

If ever an Irish movie had the wrong title it's this one; 'Worst' would be a more appropriate title! A much-hyped biopic about Ireland's most famous footballer. It concentrates on the downfall of Best where he turns alcoholic and has women trouble. The kind of movie that makes a big deal about the clothes and hairstyles from the late '60s and early '70s yet uses a modern heavy-metal guitar on the soundtrack! Fast-paced movie where scenes and characters appear and disappear. So fast paced that the famous song 'Come up and see me make me smile' over the end credits has been sped up to sound like the Chipmunks! For some reason various Irish directors appear in cameo roles: Jim Sheridan, Ian Fitzgibbon, and Mary McGuckian. Normally Shoot the cabbage would advise followers not to watch this movie but the chances of finding a DVD copy are remote!

WHERE'S WAKE WOOD?

Seems this hyped (as usual) Irish horror movie is on release today (according to its website). Not in Dublin it ain't? None of the cinemas here seem to be screening it?

Rewind

One of the best French films ever was Chabrol's La femme infidele. A middle-class, married couple are threatened when the wife gets involved with a stranger. Now, over forty years later an Irish version of this story gets made. Is it any good? Not really. Lots of Satie-like piano music (far too much), lots of stylish (and out-of-focus) cinematography, 'stretched' scenes that take longer than usual, dull weather, washed-out colours, a big deal made out of the smallest of things, and far too much direction. This is the second of the Catalyst-scheme films to get a release and it's a lot better than Eamon. Reminded me of the terrible Alarm where a Dublin woman (surely Huberman's character would has lost her working-class accent when she 'married up') moves to Kildare? Nothing special though.

CHEERS INDONESIA!

Yet another far-away country has read this fine blog. This time it's Indonesia so cheers!

WHERE'S THE IRISH FILM NOIR?

If there is one genre completely missing from Irish cinema it's Film Noir. Look at the great directors in French cinema: Truffaut, Chabrol, Tavernier, Godard, Franju, Bresson, Beneix, Dassin, Melville, Besson, and Clouzot. They all made films in the Noir genre. It's easy to see why too. Film Noir allows the director to make personal yet commercial cinema. Honestly, if a decent Irish Film Noir got made it would win awards, do well commercially, and the Hollywood studios would probably do a remake. The problem though is that Film Noir requires a good knowledge of cinema and a director with a voice. Most Irish directors have neither of these! So that's that then?