5 great movies coming to Netflix this November

Ah November! A great month for Netflix lovers with the nights drawing in quicker, winter in full flow and a world of entertainment at our finger tips! The good news is that Netflix has some real quality additions to it's catalogue on the way this month. For your viewing pleasure I have decided to once again sift through the vast array of quality movies on show and recommend five classics so you don't have to spend half the night flicking through Netflix's choices before deciding that you are now too tired to watch a film anyway and vow to return at a later date just to do the very same thing.
Here are my movie picks for your enjoyment for this month:

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Peter Jackson fans are in for a treat this month with all three Lord of the Rings movies hitting Netflix. Of course all are well worthy of repeated viewing but I've chosen the most decorated and final episode of the series as this highly entertaining franchise comes to it's spectacular conclusion!

4. Arrival
Denis Villeneuve's superb and often under rated sci-fi feature is an exceptional piece of film making and other shining example of the brilliance of this director and includes some excellent performances from a very talented cast. Read my full review here and do yourself a favour and make this film a must see this month on Netflix.

3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
A more than capable addition to the Star Wars franchise this movie story breaks new ground whilst also remaining loyal to the series origins. Gareth Edwards take on this classic sci-fi movie was, unsurprisingly a big hit in the box office and now audiences have another chance to catch it in the comfort of their own homes

2. Children of Men
This multi faceted feature from director Alfonso Cuaran works on numerous levels - as a high octane chase thriller, a sci-fi masterpiece and a humane drama. Highly original and featuring some incredible performances this is one not to be missed when it drops at the start of November on Netflix.

1. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
A Netflix Original from the great Coen Brothers, this highly anticipated western anthology comes highly recommended by the critics and contains an all star cast epitomising the Coens trademark dark drama and black humour. One to watch out for!

Review: Halloween - Scary return to form for what was a jaded franchise

For the week that's in it, I decided, rather than sit back enjoy the plush seats and comfort at Tralee Omniplex I would subject myself to the constant feeling of unease and jump scares as I endured the return of Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis to roles that have made synonymous with this season since the original Halloween movie hit our big screens forty years ago this year.
Set in modern times it's been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when his prison transfer goes horribly wrong. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the masked madman returns to Haddonfield but this time around, she's ready for him.
Directed and written by David Gordon Green (with Danny McBride co-writing and the obvious source of the scattered humour throughout) Halloween conveniently and thankfully ignores the numerous mediocre reboots that have followed since John Carpenter's iconic original shook audiences all those years ago. Carpenter himself was an executive producer on this 10th sequel and his fingerprints are all over it's production.
Embracing the elements that made the original the success that it was, we are subjected to the haunting score, graphic imagery and numerous jump scares (most of the popcorn ended up on the floor of the cinema!) that made Halloween the popular franchise that it has become.
Whilst it may not have hit the heights of the 1978 classic, it does see a somewhat return to form for the series after years of disappointments and this is largely due to it's willingness to incorporate the nostalgia and simple fear of the original and in the process simply scare the living hell out of it's audience.
Jamie Lee Curtis's return to the role that made her famous is also a masterstroke as her ability to celebrate her role once again is central to making this sequel work.
Like all horror movies however, this is not a film for everyone. If you are not fond of your heart rate taking a sudden spike in beats per minute or would rather relax in the comfort of your surroundings then this may not be the feature for you as after a somewhat slow start the horrifying, relentless killings occur at a rapid and terrifying rate.
Nonetheless, it is the occasion for all things chilling and if you are someone that rejoices in all things eerie and insomnia is something that doesn't bother you too much than this may be the movie for you!
✷✷✷1/2

What movies to watch this weekend?

In the Cinema:

Bohemian Rhapsody
Rami Malek takes on the mantle of playing the iconic Freddie Mercury in this musical biopic that has landed to mixed reviews amongst the critics but one that is bound to please the fans of the band.




Streaming: 

The Night Comes for Us (Netflix)
Extremely violent gore fest that has been drawn comparisons to films like the Raid (yet contains even more violence if that can be believed!) this is one not for the faint of heart but has landed on the Netflix catalagoe to critical acclaim and may please films fans of gore!



On Telly

Scream (W Friday 26th October 22:00)
Another scary movie for the weekend that's in it. Wes Craven's tongue and cheek depiction of the slasher film is in itself an effective horror movie whilst also including sly and witty undertones that led to it's continued popularity amongst fans of the genre today

The curtain drops on another fantastic Kerry Film Festival

The cast and crew of Tradition 

The Man Who Wanted to Fly on Sunday 21st October brought to an end five days of quality film at the 19th Kerry Film Festival. From the premiere of Killarney shot Tradition on Wednesday night right through the five days of the festival the standard of short and feature films on show was extremely high. Add in the T.A.L.K Industry event on the Saturday, Deirdre O'Kane being presented with the prestigious Maureen O'Hara Award and the Gala Awards Night later that evening and you have paramount to a festival that despite being in it's 19th year is only going from strength to strength.
From Wednesday morning with a selection of compelling and high quality short film it was quite clear that this was no ordinary festival and audiences and visitors to Killarney over the five days were not going to be disappointed. This view was strengthened by the screening  on Thursday of Padraig Conaty's No Party for Billy Burns starring the exceptional Kevin McGahern in the title role and the Irish premiere of the brilliant Mad Hannans. A Q&A held by Artistic Director Maeve McGrath with Jerry Hannan only added to the experience for the audience and the 19th Kerry Film Festival was off the strongest possible start!

Jerry Hannan's Q&A before the Irish premiere of the Mad Hannans

Student and Irish shorts got proceedings underway on day three which also saw a screening of Hugh O'Connor's wonderful directorial debut Metal Heart (with director in attendance) as well as the exceptional When All is Ruin Once Again with another quality packed day of programming at Killarney Cinema (as well as the serene St Mary's Church) coming to an end with the showing of Leslie Ann Coles superb Melody Makers documentary.

Winner of this years Maureen O'Hara Award, Deirdre O'Kane

Saturday saw more quality shorts in series that included International and KFF Showcase with the Childrens Through the Lens segment(which included Vincent Lambes Detainment) highlighting the riches that KFF2018 had in abundance.
A Free Industry event T.A.L.K was also held in the picturesque Killarney House on Saturday afternoon lots of interesting film related topics up for discussion with a very knowledgeable panel including Hugh O'Connor, Leslie Anne Coles and Vincent Lambe.
That evening saw the European premiere of Freddie Fox's magnificent short film Hero followed by the Irish premiere of Jim Cummings Sundance winner Thunder Road.
Saturday night concluded with the Awards Night in the Killarney Plaza with the following films victorious on the night:

International Short - Seven
Documentary - The Reek
Animation - Yǔnshí
Student – Day of Reckoning
Score - The Fruitful
Irish Narrative - Detainment
Kerry Short - Take Me Swimming
Feature - Thunder Road & When All Is Ruin Once Again

 Barry Keoghan finally gets to meet his favourite film blogger at this years Kerry Film Festival!

The final day of the festival saw another selection of quality shorts with the focus on local film and also saw the premiere of Tralee film maker Bertie Brosnans' CON with the festival coming to a close with the screening The Man Who Wanted to Fly at Cinema Killarney.
Overall, judging by the crowds, atmosphere and buzz generated by this award winning film festival now in it's 19th year a very successful weekend was had by all and credit must go in no small part to Artistic Director Maeve McGrath and her crew for another fantastic festival!
Roll on 2019 and the 20th year of this outstanding celebration of film!

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are just the two new releases on show this week at Tralee Omniplex. A horror reboot in time for the season of spooks and goblins and a Gerard Butler fuelled vehicle.
With 8 screens and plenty of quality still available why not catch a movie at Tralee Omniplex with the added bonus of all shows today just €6 as part of Omniplex Cinema's Tuesday Treat!

Halloween
Wiping the slate clean after years of abysmal sequels, this reboot whilst obviously never containing the quality of the original certainly has redeemed the series somewhat after years of disappointment.

Hunter Killer
If from the creators of Olympus and London has fallen doesn't tip you off initially then starring Gerard Butler certainly should. Unsurprisingly panned by critics this may fall under the Butler fans only category!

Kerry Film Festival Announce Award Winners 2018

Following another wonderful year of Irish and European film premieres, screenings and events, the annual awards ceremony took place after the Irish Premiere of Thunder Road in the the Plaza Hotel, Killarney on Saturday evening. The 19th edition of the Kerry Film Festival featured short and feature films from around the globe and many homegrown selections.

Artistic Director of the Kerry Film Festival Maeve McGrath, informed a full house, “The Kerry Film Festival presents films that challenge and inspire, that win awards and begin new journeys for the film makers involved. In 2018 the festival saw a significant increase in films directed by women and the festival hopes to build on that as the festival moves into the 20th edition in 2019”

The awards are judged by a private industry jury panel that included, Adrian Barber, Eleanor McSherry, Elling Lien, Phillip Doyle and Giedre Bumbuyte.

The Winners are:

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT  - Seven

BEST DOCUMENTARY -  The Reek

BEST ANIMATION - Yǔnshí

BEST STUDENT – Day of Reckoning

BEST SCORE - The Fruitful

BEST IRISH NARRATIVE -Detainment

BEST KERRY SHORT - Take Me Swimming

BEST FEATURE - Joint Winners: Thunder Road and When All Is Ruin Once Again (presented by Killarney Chamber)

MAUREEN O'HARA AWARD: Deirdre O'Kane

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

World War Z - (Film Four Monday 22nd October 21:00)
Marc Forster's tense and frightening adaption of the novel by Max Brooks is uneven at times but great entertainment with action, tension and thrills in abundance and a solid performance by Brad Pitt in the lead role tying the whole thing together nicely! Highly entertaining!

A Most Wanted Man - (Film Four Wednesday 24th October 21:00)
Sadly the last performance of the great Philip Seymour Hoffman, but as always it is a great one , as Anton Corbin proves once again that John Le Carre source material makes for great features in this compelling thriller.

Interstellar - (RTE 2 Saturday 27th October 21:05)
Ambitious and thought provoking sci-fi from Christopher Nolan that includes a fascinating premise and some quality performances from an exceptional cast. At times overlooked in the midst of the quality produced by Nolan but sits comfortably among any of his previous great works of art!

Review: First Man - Foy Claire shines in the personal retelling of a global story

It is hard to believe that this is only Damien Chazelle's third feature film. What is even more astonishing is that his other two features Whiplash and La la land have seen him both win (Best Director for La la land) and be nominated (Best Adapted Screenplay for Whiplash) and he is still only 33 years old. A high bar had indeed been set before Chazelle attempted to take on the global phenomenon of the first moon landing to add to his already decorated back catalogue.
First Man is the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969 in particular. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie explores the sacrifices and the cost on Armstrong personally and on the nation of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
Taking a personal look at a huge iconic in world history was a risk but one that this film maker was well capable of pulling off, especially when surrounded by a stellar cast all delivering top notch performances. Ciaran Hinds, Jason Clarke and Kyle Chandler all add their considerable talents to the production but it is the steely nature of Ryan Gosling that captures pioneer Neil Armstrong's essence to perfection. His grit, determination and anguish portrayed quite brilliantly by one of Hollywood's most talented actor, yet even he is upstaged by the remarkable Clare Foy who plays Armstrong's wife Janet. Foy proving that Lady Gaga may have some stiff competition come Oscar time for producing a performance that is the very heartbeat of the film as she grapples with the challenges that face her family.
Atheistically shot to catapult the viewer back to the age of space exploration, this is a deeply personal, slow paced film that may not be to everyone's tastes but gives a well known event a unique and compelling angle , one that has never been seen before.
As can be commonplace with movies these days, it is a tad overlong at 2 hrs 20 mins but arguably this gives the story the necessary time to grasp and grip its attentive audience.
Overall, Fist Man, cements Chazelles argument as one of tinseltowns finest directors and is sure to gain plaudits for the director more importantly it's cast come awards season.
✸✸✸✸

5 great films on show at the 19th Kerry Film Festival

Today sees the beginning of the19th year of the award winning Kerry Film Festival which has a crammed programme of quality features, shorts and events over the five days. Whilst I would encourage all film fans to travel to Killarney to experience the magic of such a prestigious event there are some simply unmissable films on show and I have put together a list of 5 such films. It is worth noting however that there is plenty of exceptional films on show aside of these 5 at the Kerry Film Festival and it's well worth checking out www.kerryfilmfestival.com for further details).

5.Mad Hannans - Thursday 18th Oct 7pm Cinema Killarney
The Irish premiere of Mad Hannans directed by Martin Shore is a film about brothers and musicians Jerry and Seán Hannan, chronicling their rise, fall, and ultimate reconciliation. A live performance with Jerry Hannan and band in J.M Reidy’s, Killarney will follow the screening.


Booking for this film can be made at : https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/mad-hannans-feature-film-ask-me-now-short-tickets-50753653544

4.Metal Heart - Friday 19th Oct 7pm Cinema Killarney
The charming directorial debut from Hugh O'Connor ,Irish feature film, Metal Heart,starring Jordanne Jones and Moe Dunford will screen on Friday 19th October with director in attendance. Highly praised this is definitely one to look out for!




Booking for this film can be made at : https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/metal-heart-feature-film-tickets-50790191831

3.Melody Makers - Friday 19th Oct 9pm Cinema Killarney
Melody Makers, should’ve been there chronicles the formative and most controversial period in music journalism when rock was in its infancy and Melody Maker magazine - the world’s first music press - was revered as the bible of rock ‘n’ roll. Irish premiere screening with director Leslie Coles in attendance.




Booking for this film can be made at : https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/melody-makers-feature-pirate-of-the-airwaves-short-tickets-50789400464

2. Thunder Road - Sat 20th Oct 7:15pm Cinema Killarney
The Irish premiere of the Grand Jury Prize Winner at SXSW 2018, Thunder Road tells the story of Jimmy Arnaud, a Texan policeman who tries as best he can to raise his daughter upon losing his Mom. The tragicomic portrait of a clumsy American authority figure.





Booking for this film can be made at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/thunder-road-feature-film-hero-short-film-tickets-50811184621

1.The Man who wanted to Fly - Sunday 21st Oct 8:30pm Cinema Killarney
From director Frank Shouldice and closing the 19th Kerry Film Festival comes this riveting documentary about an eighty-something rural bachelor Bobby Coote who has always wanted to fly. He's determined to make his dream to be a pilot come true. Even if it's the last thing he does.



Booking for this film can be made at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-man-who-wanted-to-fly-feature-film-take-me-swimming-short-tickets-50810865667

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are three high calibre new releases on show this week at Tralee Omniplex. A personal take on a global story, an ensemble mystery piece and a highly recommended family film.
With 8 screens and plenty of quality still available why not catch a movie at Tralee Omniplex with the added bonus of all shows today just €6 as part of Omniplex Cinema's Tuesday Treat!

First Man
Damien Chazzelle's third feature brings a personal angle to a global event and features some of this years best acting performances from Ryan Gosling and Clare Foy in particular and showcases a film maker on top of his game.

Bad Times at the El Royale
Written and directed by Drew Goddard this smart and stylish mystery thriller features and all star cast obviously having fun in their respective roles and comes highly recommended by critics and audiences alike yet may fly under the radar this week due to more high profile new release features.

Smallfoot
After a few mediocre family films throughout the summer period Warner Bros latest animated addition thankfully comes with high praise as this visually appealing and well written film has more than enough to keep both young and older family members entertained!