As Edinburgh International Film Festival shifts its focus towards first and second-time filmmakers, there has been a collective call to encourage others to get out and make movies, regardless of financial circumstances.

Edinburgh-based director David Barras heard Shane Meadows' call to action loud and clear at last year's festival and, inspired by Meadows' and Mark Herbert's low budget filmmaking venture Le Donk, quickly began to develop a script with his co-writer Scott Mackay. Frustrated by his lack of progress in trying to get the script produced through the BBC and other channels, David struck out on his own with a small crew. The microbudget feature entitled Electric Man is set to begin filming next month in Scotland's capital. I caught up with David to find out more about the production.

Read more at The Skinny...

Hello, readers!

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Scott Pilgrim is an unemployed and single 22 year-old Toronto native. To allay his year-long dumpee depression, he dates a lithe high-schooler named Knives Chau (a sprightly and highly entertaining Ellen Wong). Though his Sex Bob-omb bandmates disapprove and his gay roommate Wallace is apathetic, they needn't worry for long, as Scott is quickly distracted by the girl of his dreams: a candy-haired American by the name of Ramona Flowers. The cool new kid in town, Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is aloof but receptive, and she and Scott soon begin dating.

Surely we all know what happens next.

With the sustained frenetic energy of its trailers and the artistic touch of director Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim vs the World is quick, colourful, and delightfully entertaining. With all the trappings of a graphic novel adaptation, it deftly whips from panel-to-panel with a practiced gaze.

Despite mutterings that it's, "not as good as Edgar Wright's other films…" If you're expecting a third instalment from the Cornetto trio, you are bound to be disappointed. Scott Pilgrim was never meant to be a follow up to and , not does it lay claim to a lineage from either film.

What Scott Pilgrim does have in common with Wright's earlier features, however, are excellent performances and dynamite comic timing. While the acting is over-stylised at points (we're looking at you, Anna Kendrick), it fits the overall aesthetic of droll comic book surrealism. The female characters of Ramona and Knives are refreshingly well-drawn, holding love triangles and jealous revenge to a higher standard of comedic drama. Chris Evans is particularly appealing as skater-turned-actor Lucas Lee, second only to Jason Schwartzman, a final boss of sorts. Schwartzman is the highlight of the film, on top form with a remarkably restrained, first-class performance.

One of the most entertaining films of the year, you need only take it as seriously as it takes itself. Sit back and relive the excitement of those tricky 8-bit games in film form.

What did you think of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World? What is your favourite comic book adaptation?

Last weekend, I attended Edinburgh International Book Festival to see John Green - young adult author and my favourite YouTube author - in person.

For the uninitiated, John Green has authored four books: , , , and (co-authored with David Levithan). He also runs a YouTube channel with his brother Hank entitled . Their followers and co-conspirators are known as Nerdfighters - one of those labels you tend only to use around other internet nerds. With so many Nerdfighters in attendance at the talk, it was pretty much the best fan audience you could imagine.

The talk was chaired by , also a young adult author. After pointing his video camera at the audience in order for us to greet Hank (for video), John read a short passage from Paper Towns and went on to discuss the book, Nerdfightaria, and some more in-depth questions about his work.

After the talk, the entire audience of the tented auditorium descended upon the Children's Bookshop next door for a signing. Being the over-considerate klutz that I am, I only took one of my hardback copies of his books along with me to be signed (I'm kind of collecting as may editions as I can find). We had a brief exchange about how he's never in LA at the same time as I am, and he complimented Evan's (plain polo-necked) shirt.

The day also continued to lend a false impression of Edinburgh upon me. After 2 straight weeks of glorious weather at Edinburgh International Film Festival, the sunshine on Sunday was also a treat. I must vow never to move there, so as not to shatter the illusion.

Edinburgh International Book Festival (@) concludes this Thursday 26th August. If you are in the area I highly recommend that you check out an event.

I am loathe to disagree with Christopher Hitchens, who wrote the introduction to this book, but as difficult as it is to denounce the opinion of a man who most certainly knows better than me -- I'll do it.

centres around British expatriate and vacuum salesman Mr Wormold - seldom referred to as Jim, even his nearest and dearest. Struggling to care for his 17 year-old, devout Catholic daughter, Wormold is head-hunted by the British secret service. In order to maximize his earnings, Wormold, rather than hiring agents, invents some.

The story is overrun with dialogue, which is often unmarked and therefore difficult to follow. Though there are some interesting characters, their emotional distance is palpable and demonstrated by their formal addresses. The story centres on Wormold but is narrated in third-person, which is often confusing.

Most exposition on the storyline is delayed, leaving that disgruntled, anti-climactic moment where you feel like you might have missed something. While this probably works perfectly in , the big reveals are sidelined; dulling the effect of the big give-away instead of enhancing it. At many points I felt that I could almost have skimmed over some of the most important moments.

Intriguing, but never quite entertaining, Our Man in Havana is a sleepy espionage tale for dads.

is the third novel from , author and creator of HBO's Bored to Death. The show was adapted from a short story of the same name, and stars Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ames, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis (try spelling that drunk). After attending the at Edinburgh International Film Festival and spying Ames at the closing party, I decided it was time to see what this eccentric New Yorker was all about.

Wake Up, Sir! is narrated by one (unreliable) Alan Blair, an accidental quarter-millionaire and, like Ames in Bored to Death, an author struggling to write his second novel. Oh, and he's also a neurotic alcoholic. After a run-in with his Uncle whom he has been living with and avoiding, he packs up his belongings and his valet, sardonically named Jeeves, and departs on a journey to detox and finish his novel. After several more incidences, he finds himself at an artists' retreat with goods more damaged than his own.

Ames' Alan Blair is a humorous chap, with an acute sense of humour that cloaks a complete lack of worldliness. While amusing at points, the tension between his sharp wit, dull social skills, and impossible naivety are too far at odds to be taken seriously. Jeeves levels him out with his cool, unflappable demeanour and impenetrable patience. Despite his quiet, he is perhaps the most interesting character in the book.

Though the plot unfolds over 4 days, it feels more like 4 weeks (as noted by Alan). Amusing and oftentimes fantastic, it can be a little overzealous at times, but is well worth the journey.




This week is going to be Book Week, in part as celebration of , and in part because I've been reading lots and watching very few films. Enjoy!

As if we weren't already peeing our collective pants after the release of the ultimate Scott Pilgrim vs The World trailer, YouTube is, as ever, a place where media collide.

A studious Scott Pilgrim fan named Max Ketchum has overlaid the Scott Pilgrim trailer with panels from the original graphic novel artwork, perfectly demonstrating the synergy of comic book filmmaking.

Director Edgar Wright obviously hasn't strayed far from his source material, the comic book series from Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Are you a fan of faithful film adaptations, or do you prefer a little redesign?

Hello, readers!

A brief interlude to your regularly scheduled programming. I recently teamed up with Sarah Von at Yes & Yes along with three other freelancers to create this guest advice blog on freelance writing.

How to Rock Freelance Writing at Yes & Yes!

Whilst I am by no means an expert (I'm working on it!), we doled out hints and tips to the power of four and have received a positive response so far. There are also loads more great tips in the comments, so keep reading!

Who is Sarah Von? In her own words:

Yes and Yes wants to see the world, save the dolphins and read The New Yorker while wearing cute outfits and eating bon bons. You too? Let's dance!

I hope you take the time to have a look at Yes & Yes, comment, and add it to your RSS readers! You can also follow Sarah on . I've been a huge fan of Sarah's for I-don't-know-how-long, and Yes & Yes is an endlessly fun blog packed with great advice, lovely pictures, and fantastic content. Whether you're a fellow girl blogger, world traveller, or cat enthusiast, there's something for you.

What are you still doing here? Hop to it!

's humorous memoirs are in the vein of , to whom she is frequently and flatteringly compared; likely for want of a better description.

While Crosley operates within the same outline, her craft is not in the same league as Sedaris or, my preferred contemporary of the same genre, .

The beauty of the personal essay is the delicate balance between mundanity, the oddness of life, and the gentle self-deprecation of the author. Add a dash of clever wording, a few humorous descriptions, and the odd comic digression, and you're in business. What makes Sedaris so unique and, most importantly, so absorbing, is his ability to reel you in with a mundane or wacky story and, at the end, wrap it up neatly with an overarching theme, message, or feeling imbued with importance. On all of these counts, Crosley fails.

From getting locked out of both her flats on moving day to her year as the assistant to a Miranda Priestly-esque publisher, the stories become no more interesting beyond the gist. While the writing itself is not at fault, the stories are mundane to the point of boring and, unlike Sedaris' essays, lack pathos.

That is not to say that she doesn't try. In her essay 'Bastard Out of Westchester' Crosley attempts to relate her wish for her kids to be "different" (which equates to being foreign) to the existential crisis she has invented around the uniqueness of her first name, Sloane. This attempt at taking two seemingly unrelated statements and, with the dexterity of words, making them fit feels more like a small child on tippy-toes reaching for the cookie jar and the sugar bowl at the same time with both tiny hands.

Pathos aside, what is worse is that her essays are not funny. While I seldom laugh out loud at Sedaris (and know I am pretty much alone in that regard), Burroughs is second only to Bryson in his ability to make me giggle, snort, then chase after the nearest bystander, tears streaming and forefinger stabbing wildly at the page.

Sorry, Sloane. I wish this genre was big enough for the three of you, but when you punch wildly into a genre with established masters, they are inclined to win.

If you're still intrigued by the humorous memoir, I recommend Augusten Burrough's .

The Secret in Their Eyes () was the surprise winner of last year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Directed by Argentina's Juan José Campanella, it is based on the novel "" (The Question in Their Eyes) by Eduardo Sacheri.

Defined as a crime thriller but more like a mystery, Secret is the story of attorney Benjamin Esposito who, newly retired, turns to writing in an attempt to resolve a long-closed case. Having forged a connection with the victim's husband 25 years prior, Esposito's third attempt at seeking justice lays the groundwork for a story told through a series of flashbacks.

Though engaging, this isn't an edge-of-your-seat thriller; however it does boast fantastic performances from its ensemble cast and some excellent cinematography. With an understated yet effective palette, it's a beauty to watch and tinted with love, loss, and violence.

The Secret in Their Eyes is released in selected UK cinemas on Friday 13th August.

Marya is the lady behind one of my favourite film blogs, Cinema Fanatic: Diary of a Film Awards Fanatic. She has been kind enough to write this guest post for Uncultured Critic on films that, after the advent of colour, were filmed in black and white for artistic reasons. This will be the first in a series of guest blogs, so I hope you enjoy it! Be sure to check out Marya's , too!

Originally when the Academy Awards were first founded in 1927/1928, the Cinematography award was given for a body of work, which caused some problems if multiple cinematographers filmed one film as well as others individually. The next year there were no nominations and the third year films were nominated, not cinematographers. In 1931 they settled on awarding individuals based on their work on a single film. By 1939 the category was split into two - Color and black and white. It stayed this way until 1967, with the single exception of 1957.  Since  1967 the only black and white film to win the award is 1993's Schindler's List. However, there have been several films that have chosen to film in black and white for artistic reasons. Conversely, 1967's specifically shot in Technicolor because the producers did not want the film to seem like a documentary of the depression era; they wanted it to feel as modern as possible. I'd like to discuss some of my favorite films that chose to film in black and white.


Before I do that, however, I have to talk about a few films that chose to film in black and white prior to the category change. filmed the scenes that take place in Kansas in black and white (or sepia, rather) in order to emphasize the dream-like land of Oz when they switched to color. Hitchcock chose to film Psycho in black and white to keep a B-movie feel to his film.


One of the first films to come out after the Academy changed back to a single Best Cinematography category was 1967's , based on 's 1966 true crime novel of the same name. Conrad L. Hall's cinematography is so lush and expressive, while at the same time highlighting the loneliness and desolation of the film's plot. I definitely feel it was the right choice to make this film in black and white and in doing so the film was the first black and white film to be nominated for Best Cinematography in the new combined category. Incidentally, it lost the award to Bonnie and Clyde.



One of my favorite films to use black and white cinematography as an homage is the 1982 Carl Reiner helmed Steve Martin film . The film is both an homage to and parody of film noir. It contains some of the best editing I have ever seen in that Humphrey Bogart, who was long dead, had been edited into the film as Martin's partner.  19 film noir films in total were edited into the new footage to create the complete film. It's a shame that Michael Chapman's cinematography and Bud Molin's genius editing were completely ignored by the Academy. Chapman had been previously nominated for his black and white work on 1980's Raging Bull, losing to the literary drama Tess. Many years later the Coen brothers made a neo-noir film, also shot in black and white - 2001's . I've yet to see this film, but from what I've seen the cinematography is extremely lush. Roger Deakins was nominated for numerous awards for his cinematography; the film even landed at the #31 spot on The American Society of Cinematographers' list Best-Shot Film From 1998-2008.


Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film was one of the first films to mix black and white with color. Unlike The Wizard of Oz, the film doesn't contain black and white sequences and color sequences, but instead infused black and white scenes with color. It's little things, like the titular fish. Stephen H. Burum's cinematography is particularly beautiful in this film and helps to create the unique otherness that the film exudes.


Much like Rumble Fish a decade earlier, Steven Spielberg's 1993 WWII drama utilizes black and white cinematography with one specific exception - the little girl's red coat.  Spielberg had set out to film the story like it were a documentary, which led to the decision to shoot the film mainly in black and white. Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński compared to German Expressionism and Italian neorealism. Spielberg has said that "[v]irtually everything [he's] seen on the Holocaust [...] have largely been stark, black and white images." Kamiński went on the win for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards, making Schindler's List the only black and white film to do so since the category change of 1967.


The following year saw Tim Burton's comedy about the life of B-movie director . Originally the film was in development with Columbia Pictures. However, when Burton decided he wanted to shoot the film in black and white, the studio balked. Burton has said that black and white was, "right for the material and the movie, and this was a movie that had to be in black-and-white," and insisted on total creative control. A month before the original start date, Ed Wood was put into turnaround sparking interest in the film from Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox. Eventually Burton accepted an offer from Disney. Despite Academy Award nominations for Best Make-Up and Best Supporting Actor - Martin Landau (he won), Stefan Czapsky's cinematography was largely overlooked.


Arguably the greatest mixture of black and white and color cinematography can be found in 1998's . The film does so much mixture of the two styles that there's a screen before the DVD/VHS to help you adjust the color on your television so it will be just right. Part special effects, part wildly original cinematography, Pleasantville's use of color and black and white to tell its story is jut plain fun. The film was nominated for three Oscars - Costume Design, Set Decoration and Score. How it did not receive a nomination for its visual effects or John Lindley's cinematography is just beyond me.


Quentin Tarantino's epic films utilize black and white both to establish events that take place in the past but also as a way to get the uber-violence of the film past the MPAA board. According to its trivia section on IMDb, the black and white cinematography is an homage to '70s and '80s US television airings of kung fu movies, black and white having been used to conceal the shedding of blood from television censors. Tarantino apparently used the old trick for its intended purpose, rather than merely as an homage. I think cinematography Robert Richardson achieved some really beautiful shots, with added depth, with his use of black and white.


I am a huge fan of Frank Miller's graphic novels and Robert Rodriguez's 2005 film adaptation is perhaps one of the greatest adaptations I've ever seen. Somehow this film received ZERO nominations at the Academy Awards. I think maybe it was just ahead of its time. The film was completely filmed in green screen and then digitally enhanced. The use of color and black and white perfectly mirrors the way in which color is used in the graphic novels. It is a truly beautiful film.


George Clooney's 2005 film utilized black and white cinematography in order to contextualize the film's setting - McCarthy-era television. Apparently the film was shot on color film stock, set to grayscale  and then was later color corrected to black and white during post-production. Regardless of how the black and white was achieved, the film's weighty subject is highlighted by the gravity of the black and white cinematography. Cinematographer Robert Elswit was nominated for his work on the film, ultimately losing to Dion Beebe's work on . Elswit would later win the award for the 2007 film .


, Anton Corbijn's 2007 biographical film of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, is one of my all-time favorite films. Partly because Joy Division is my favorite band, but also because the film is in itself a beautiful work of art. Like Good Night, and Good Luck. the film was shot on color stock and printed to black and white. Corbjin decided to shoot the film in black and white, "reflect the atmosphere of Joy Division and the mood of the era." As a fan of the band, I can tell you there is hardly a photograph or video of band that is in color. When you think of them you think in black and white. Corbijin, who began his career as a rock photographer, is actually responsible for many of the most iconic images of the band.


One of the most recent black and white films is the 2009  Michael Haneke drama (Das weiße Band, Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte). I still haven't seen this film but I hear it is absolutely fabulous. The film was a front-runner for the Best Cinematography Oscar, having won several precursors. Christian Berger's work did receive a nomination, but ultimately lost to Mauro Fiore's work on . This win sparked many a debate among industry insiders in regards to the future of the art of cinematography in a digital age.

There has actually been hundreds of films in the last forty years to use black and white as an artistic choice. Some notable films I have yet to mention, some I've seen, some I have not, include: , , , , , , , (although the choice to film in black and white was not an artistic one, but rather due to budgetary constraints), , , , , , and .


Click here to see my guest post at Cinema Fanatic.