Friday, May 23, 2003

Talking Pictures

Matrix Madness

Do you know what? "What?" I hear you answer. Well, I'm sick of broadsheets like The Times being full of features about films that you know for certain will be damned by their film critics as soon as they are released. And, guesss what? "What?" I hear you say. The Times has been full of stories about The Matrix Reloaded, and quite predictably their critic, Barbara Ellen, in the T2 section, 22 May 2003, calls it a good looking dud.

My solution is they sack these critics and get ones in-line with the rest of the paper's editorial policy, or they stop promoting films just because they know they are popular but beneath their critical contempt. It would be great if they gave as much exposure to films they really believed in.

Rant over...

What do you think? Email me at: valis23a@aol.com
Talking Pictures

Reel Madness Festival

Reel Madness the first national festival dedicated to film portrayals of madness and mental distress will be taking place at the ICA, The Mall, London from June 19-22nd 2003.

With Dame Judi Dench as its patron and organized by Mental Health Media, the Documentary Filmmakers Group and Rethink, Reel Madness brings together a diverse range of films and genres from around the world. Included in the four day festival are autobiographical films made by people about their experiences of mental distress, feature films and documentaries, dramas, short films and experimental animation.

The programme features seven UK premieres such as Completely Cuckoo, a documentary about the making of the groundbreaking One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and also award winners such as Kira's Reason which won awards for best film and actress in the 2002 Danish Bodil Awards.

Reel Madness includes uplifting stories of resilience and recovery, portrayals which don't flinch from recording painful realities and emotions, and films which challenge and expose the brutality with which society has responded to mental distress and madness.

For comprehensive details go to www.reelmadness.co.uk