Fantastic Four/FANT4STIC, Review: High on Fantasy, Low on Score Fourth outing for Marvel’s Fantastic 4 has a thinly spread plot and is further handicapped by lack-lustre performances. While a sequel is already in the offing, the 2015 prequel to the sci-fi series that was first adapted to the screen in 1994 seems to offer little raison d’être for it. Ten years ago, the first to be released theatre version, called Fantastic 4, was critically panned, though successful at the bo...

November 15, 2005 THE 11th annual Kolkata(Calcutta) Film Festival (KFF) is in full swing this week with more than 125,000 people expected to see a total of 138 films at 240 screenings in eight venues. The festival got off on a high note with the showing of Christophe Barratier’s Les Choristes for the inaugural evening, marking the first time the French box-office hit has been shown in the sub-continent. The film was shown in the largest of the three halls that make up Nanda...

October 16, 2005 BANGKOK ~ The 3rd annual World Film Festival got under way in Bangkok today (Saturday 15 Oct) following Friday night’s grand opening at which Roman Polanski was guest of honour for the Asian premiere of his latest film, Oliver Twist. The veteran director, who is no stranger to Thailand and who even speaks a smattering of Thai, introduced the film as his first attempt to produce work that will appeal to children as well as adults. “I have children of my ow...