All the Money in the World, Review: Ear today, gone tomorrow Cinquanta to Gail: “Who is this so-called grandfather? How can he leave his own flesh and blood in the plight that your poor son is in? Here is the richest man in America, and you tell me he refuses to find just 10 miliardi for his grandson’s safety. Signora, you take me for a fool.” Two Ridley Scott releases in the same year? Alien Covenant and All the Money in the World mark the repeat of a phenomenon that occur...

Alien: Covenant, Review by Siraj Syed: Paradise morphed Five years after Prometheus, this film is the second instalment in the Alien prequel series, and the sixth one in the Alien film series, as well as the third one to be directed by Ridley Scott. Prometheus was his second directorial effort in the series. He was 42 when he directed Alien (1979) and is in his 79th year, when Covenant is releasing. Imagine making a prequel 38 years after the original! Alien Covenant is an interesting film in...

Siraj Syed conducts the first ever interview of writer-director Hank Orion (Despair, 2017) Hank Orion migrated to Italy from Ukraine with his mother, at the age of 9. He had been showing interest in cinema since a very early age, and wrote his first ‘screenplay’ at the age of 12.There, Hank focussed on writing, primarily, and by the age of 16, he had written several feature film screenplays and short stories. Later, Hank studied painting at the Liceo Artistico Statale ‘Fois...

Siraj Syed’s IFFI 2016 diary, XI: Virtual Reality: Think in 360 Clyde DeSouza found an elderly couple dancing in a Goa bar-restaurant. He captured the image and added perspective, giving it a 360⁰ viewing experience, and projected it at Maquinez Palace I, Panaji, as part of his Master Class at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2016. Even as the audience uttered wows, he clipped, “Imagine the same scene with a younger, more dynamic couple!” Welcome to Virtual ...

Parched, Review by Siraj Syed: Rani & Lajjo & Bijli & Thelma & Louise’s Rihaee Get this right. Parched is not a remake. It is a nod to the soul of the 1988 film, Rihaee (Liberation, directed by Aruna Rajé), and a tribute to one of the most discussed climaxes in cinematic history: Hollywood’s Thelma and Louise, a 1991 milestone by Ridley Scott. One film old director Leena Yadav sets her tale in Rajasthan, enlists a youngish cast and a predominantly foreign cr...

Exodus-Gods and Kings, Review: Wrath and bloodbath Exodus is the name of a long novel by Leon Uris, published in 1958, about the establishing of the modern state of Israel, and set in 1947, but this film goes back some 2300 years, to THE Exodus. It was to be titled just Exodus, but the copyright to the name was already taken, so the ‘Gods and Kings’ sub-title had to be added. Exodus-Gods and Kings is an epic on the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt 300-400 years before Chris...

New project from Ester Brym's factory is Czech music documentary called Netoč Nás, Natoč Sebe (Film Yourself, Not Us) featuring the band Chinaski and its fans. Each day during their 2011 World Tour, the fans were told to film whatever happens to them right before the concert and submit the footage for this unusual film inspired by Ridley Scott's Life in a Day. Not only fans, but also all members of the band shot sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes very usual progress of ...

I am collaborating on a film that is inspired by Ridley Scott's Life In A Day. If you like to submit footage for the film, just film yourself the day you attend Chinaski concert and upload the clip here: http://chinaski.capsa.cz/ For information in Czech, go here: http://www.chinaski.cz/natoc-sebe or see this video: The top 3 videomakers get to attend the film premiere as well as receive awards. ...

Robin Hood, the epic blockbuster by British director Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett (and Max Von Sydow, Lea Seydoux, William Hurt), is to be screened at the Opening of the 63rd Festival de Cannes on Wednesday May 12th 2010. The film will be presented out of competition.Produced by Universal Studios, the screenplay was penned by Brian Helgeland (L.A Confidential, Mystic River) and portrays the birth of the Robin Hood legend. To star, Ridley Scott chose Russell Crowe for a...