Author: David G. Hughes

David G. Hughes is the Northern-born, London-based Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Electric Ghost Magazine. He graduated in Film Studies (BA) from King's College London and Film Aesthetics (Mst) from The University of Oxford.

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Interview

THE BIRDS: IN CONVERSATION WITH CAMILLE PAGLIA

Camille Paglia © Michael Lionstar, courtesy of Penguin Random House

“The Birds shows the grim reality—human helplessness in the face of nature and fate”

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Review

VILLAIN

Villain (Philip Barantini, 2020), Vertigo Releasing / Saban Films, UK, colour, sound 97 minutes
Villain (Philip Barantini, 2020), Vertigo Releasing / Saban Films, UK, colour, sound, 97 minutes, Eddie Franks (Craig Fairbrass)

Polished British gangster flick hits with surprising emotional depth

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Essay

THE ANXIETY OF INFLUENCE & THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, ANALOGOUS TO OUR CULTURAL MOMENT

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007), Warner Bros., USA, 35mm, colour, sound, Jesse James (Brad Pitt)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007), Warner Bros., USA, 35mm, colour, sound, Jesse James (Brad Pitt)

A western that speaks to our current culture wars torn between the charismatic, problematic past and the ambitious, revisionist present

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Netflix Review

EXTRACTION

Extraction (Sam Hargrave, 2020), Netflix, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 116 minutes
Extraction (Sam Hargrave, 2020), Netflix, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 116 minutes

Joyfully bombastic but soulless corporate entertainment that extracts from other films

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Review

PLANET OF THE HUMANS

Planet of the Humans (Jeff Gibbs, 2020), Huron Mountain Films, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 100 minutes
Planet of the Humans (Jeff Gibbs, 2020), Huron Mountain Films, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 100 minutes

Documentary exposes the hypocrisy and fallacy at the heart of the Green Movement, but isn’t quite bold enough

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Review

THE HUNT

The Hunt (Craig Zobel, 2020), Universal Pictures, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 90 minutes, Crystal (Betty Gilpin)
The Hunt (Craig Zobel, 2020), Universal Pictures, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 90 minutes, Crystal (Betty Gilpin)

Culture war satire has plenty of bark but no bite

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Review

VFW

VFW (Joe Begos, 2020), Fangoria, USA, colour, sound, 92 minutes, Fred Parras (Stephen Lang)
VFW (Joe Begos, 2020), Fangoria, USA, colour, sound, 92 minutes, Fred Parras (Stephen Lang)

Veterans face-off against drug-addled millennials in retrograde splatter-fest that has something to say

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Review

DISTURBING THE PEACE

Disturbing the Peace (York Alec Shackleton, 2020), Signature Entertainment, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 87 Minutes, Jim Dillon (Guy Pearce)
Disturbing the Peace (York Alec Shackleton, 2020), Signature Entertainment, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 87 Minutes, Jim Dillon (Guy Pearce)

Guy Pearce is charismatic but this cop actioner disappoints in its banality

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Netflix Review

THE IRISHMAN

The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, 2019), Netflix, USA, 35mm, colour, sound, 209 Minutes, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), Frank "Irish" Sheeran (Robert De Niro)
The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, 2019), Netflix, USA, 35mm, colour, sound, 209 Minutes, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), Frank "Irish" Sheeran (Robert De Niro)

An engulfing opus imbued with cruel wisdom, technical mastery and tragic melancholia

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Review

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019), Paramount Pictures, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 128 minutes, Grace (Mackenzie Davis)
Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019), Paramount Pictures, USA, DCP, colour, sound, 128 minutes, Grace (Mackenzie Davis)

Mackenzie Davis is a bonafide movie star, but this franchise continues to flounder in identity crisis