Kevin Woodley

Brandon Lee in 1994 film The Crow. A smoky, grungy, dark brown backdrop, with Lee in centre frame. He's dressed all in black, black curly hair, and black leather, torn at the shoulder. His face is coated with white makeup, black lines running vertically through his eyes and at the corners of his mouth into a wicked smile.

[Nostalgia Week] The Everlasting Love and Pain of ‘The Crow’ (1994)

By: Kevin Woodley 9th Mar 202118th Feb 2021

Featured, Film, PersonalAlex Proyas, Brandon Lee, Eliza Hutton, Ernie Hudson, Gothic fantasy, Michael Wincott, Nostalgia, Sofia Shinas, The Crow, Tragedy1 Comment

As one of the most achingly beautiful films ever made, The Crow, along with Lee’s immortal performance, should be left in the past, where we can visit it whenever darkness calls.

A still from the sci-fi film Bliss. The background is a sunny seaside resort with a blurred palm tree behind a confused man and happy woman. The man has blonde hair and is played by Owen Wilson, dressed in a grey suit jacket with a black shirt. He's holding a half-eaten peach. The woman has long black hair, dressed in a white gown, and is played by Salma Hayek. She's pointing proudly into the distance at something we cannot see.

REVIEW: Mike Cahill’s Sci-fi Drama ‘Bliss’ (2021) Gets Lost in a Silly, Weightless Plot

By: Kevin Woodley 10th Feb 20218th Feb 2021

Featured, Film, ReviewsAmazon Prime, Bliss, Fantasy, Film, Mike Cahill, owen wilson, review, salma hayek, sci-fiLeave a Comment

Not even Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek can rescue this dull sci-fi fantasy from glitching all over the place, and you’d expect a double act of this calibre to be a lot more fun than it is

Angela Bettis in horror-comedy 12 Hour Shift. A woman in a light blue nurse uniform looks alarmed and annoyed, her gown and face are covered in blood. The background is a grey, bluish wall of an autopsy room.

REVIEW: Brea Grant’s Frenetically Fun Dark Horror Comedy ‘12 Hour Shift’ (2020) Flies Past

By: Kevin Woodley 24th Jan 202123rd Jan 2021

Featured, Film, ReviewsAngela Bettis, Brea Grant, Chloe Farnworth, Comedy, David Arquette, Film, Horror, reviewLeave a Comment

Grant’s film treads a fine line of stone-faced humour, exploitation, and bloody violence, but a female centric cast and memorable performances make this an energetic and curious calling card

REVIEW: ‘Away’ (2019) is a Wondrous Artistic Achievement

By: Kevin Woodley 13th Jan 202113th Jan 2021

Featured, Film, Reviewsadventure, animation, escapism, Film, Gints Zilbalodis, journey, review, silent film, surrealLeave a Comment

See it on the biggest screen, with the best sound and in the darkest room, Zilbalodis’ remarkable animation will make you feel like you’re flying

An elderly couple (played by Shelia McCarthy and Julian Richings) hold each other in panic. They're standing in a dimly lit hallway. The woman has dishvelled white hair and the man has thin receeding hair. The man looks calmer than the woman, who is more alarmed by what she is looking at.

REVIEW: ‘Anything for Jackson’ (2020) is a Delightfully Twisted Horror With Real Charm

By: Kevin Woodley 20th Dec 2020

Featured, Film, ReviewsAnything For Jackson, Comedy, drama, film review, Horror, Julian Richings, Justin G. Dyck, Keith Cooper, Konstantina Mantelos, Sheila McCarthy, shudderLeave a Comment

Featuring a demonic contortionist that will make you scream, Dyck’s swerve into the horror genre is well worth an evening’s sacrifice.

Image still from the first episode of The Walking Dead. A rotting zombie crawling along the grass.

The Seven Resurrections of ‘The Walking Dead’

By: Kevin Woodley 31st Oct 20208th Oct 2020

Anniversaries, Featured, TVAMC, Andrew Lincoln, Horror, Melissa McBride, Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead, TVLeave a Comment

For its 10th anniversary, here are the seven resurrections of The Walking Dead, the bloodiest, emotional, and most resurgent episodes that kept the show alive for a weary fan.

Image still from the film New Order. A woman and man sit in the front seats of a car that's had its window shield splashed with green paint. The woman looks behind horrified.

LFF REVIEW: ‘New Order’ (2020) is a Chaotic, Ultra-Violent Dystopian Warning

By: Kevin Woodley 26th Oct 202024th Oct 2020

Featured, Festivals, Film, Reviewsfilm review, Horror, Michel Franco, Naian González Norvind, New Order, satire, thrillerLeave a Comment

A fierce, uncompromising nightmare from Franco, meant to scream like a vision of a future that’s already revealing itself in the present.

Image still from the horror film The Intruder. A dark, blue-tinted background, a woman (Érica Rivas) dubs sound effects into a microphone.

LFF REVIEW: ‘The Intruder’ (2020) is a Dull, Ineffective Paranormal Thriller

By: Kevin Woodley 23rd Oct 202019th Oct 2020

Featured, Festivals, Film, ReviewsÉrica Rivas, film review, Horror, lff, Natalie Meta, The Intruder, thrillerLeave a Comment

All of the ingredients are there, but they’ve been swished into a diluted, forgettable cocktail that’s more of a nightcap than a rush to the head.

Image is from the film Rose: A Love Story. A couple hug one another in a bathroom.

LFF REVIEW: ‘Rose: A Love Story’ (2020) is a Vampire Film For Our Times

By: Kevin Woodley 22nd Oct 202019th Oct 2020

Featured, Festivals, Film, Reviewsdrama, film review, Horror, Jennifer Sheridan, lff, Matt Stokoe, Romance, Rose: A Love Story, Sophie Rundle, VampireLeave a Comment

An efficiently crafted piece of work shrouded in dread and frozen to last.

Image from the horror film Relic. Three women pose for a family portrait in a decrepit looking living room, staring into the camera.

LFF REVIEW: ‘Relic’ (2020) is an Unfurling Terror of the Haunted House as Diseased and Dying Mind

By: Kevin Woodley 14th Oct 202011th Oct 2020

Featured, Festivals, Film, Reviewsbella heathcote, emily mortimer, film review, Horror, lff, natalie erika james, Relic, robyn nevinLeave a Comment

The scares are minimal, with a heavy reliance on atmosphere, but stick with it and you’ll find this stylish horror film wanders close to home and burrows underneath the skin.