Thu | Apr 18, 2024

Stories by Damian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Published:Tuesday | April 16, 2024 | 12:08 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

In times like these the nightly news doesn’t provide much comfort. In largely every area there seem to be drastic and existential threats. For many, the cinema will be a means of escape, a chance to be transported into a world where problems are...

Published:Wednesday | April 10, 2024 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

I just cannot fathom it. An international icon like Winnie the Pooh is finally available for public use. Boundless possibilities rest on the shoulders of film-makers large and small, who could take a world-renowned silly old bear and create...

Published:Tuesday | April 9, 2024 | 12:10 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

The Faculty of Humanities and Education of The University of the West Indies recently assembled a panel of experts to discuss Bob Marley: One Love. Aspiring actors, writers, and film-makers all listened with keen ears as the panel explored topics...

Published:Monday | April 1, 2024 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

It’s not hard to understand why the titans Godzilla and King Kong have stood the test of time. The gargantuan beasts provide the very spectacle that is only done justice when seen at the very least on a 30-foot-high screen, and whose booming...

Published:Wednesday | March 13, 2024 | 12:08 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Imaginary opens with the exact sequence one wants from a horror film focused on a vengeful spirit disguised as a teddy bear. Jessica, played by DeWanda Wise, has fled all manner of monsters throughout the halls of her childhood home. When all...

Published:Tuesday | March 5, 2024 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

In what felt like the wait of a thousand-year prophecy, Dune: Part Two is finally unleashed upon the cinema-going public. The story of Paul Atreides and his fight for the Fremen continues, pulling him in all manner of directions. Is he the messiah...

Published:Saturday | February 17, 2024 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Being a film critic has its ups and downs. One day, you’re on the red carpet talking to stars at a world premiere, and the next, you’re in a near-empty cinema watching the latest attempt at kick-starting a superhero franchise. It’s a long and...

Published:Friday | February 9, 2024 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

In writing a review for Bob Marley: One Love, I must acknowledge a smidge of bias. At one point the film makes mention of young Nesta’s birthplace of “rural St Ann”. It’s a fact that carries a lot more weight when you know what rural St Ann looks...

Published:Wednesday | January 31, 2024 | 12:08 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

At the 20-minute mark of Due Justice is when I first checked my watch. The first time check of many, as after a bloody opening scene, the Kellan Lutz-led action film had become overwhelmingly dull as it sets up its lead character’s backstory. Max...

Published:Friday | January 12, 2024 | 12:11 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

With the new year now in full swing, highly anticipated films are getting ready to hit the big screen. Here’s a list of 10 movies you should look out for. 1. Mean Girls The comedy classic gets a musical makeover. Mean Girls defined a generation...

Published:Tuesday | December 26, 2023 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

If there’s anything to take away from 2018’s Aquaman, it’s to disregard anything but the flashing lights. The world of Atlantis and its undersea inhabitants gave the Jason Momoa-led original a feeling of vibrance and scale. The story and characters...

Published:Wednesday | December 20, 2023 | 12:06 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Action movies are not known for great dialogue. Granted, some of the cheesiest lines in action films go on to have a life of their own, but they’re more enjoyed for how bad they are than being any good. To tell its no-nonsense story of grief...

Published:Tuesday | December 12, 2023 | 12:05 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Many will say a new Willy Wonka is unnecessary. With an iconic performance in the Gene Wilder original, and source material that has aged poorly through a modern lens, it’s easy to want to leave Willy well enough alone. What isn’t easy is coming...

Published:Wednesday | December 6, 2023 | 12:12 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is known for being an icon in several ways. As a dancer, a singer, and a performer, she’s largely unmatched. She’s a beloved artiste with over two decades worth of music, the oldest of which is yet to go out of style,...

Published:Friday | December 1, 2023 | 12:10 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

A story of a young woman, with big dreams, in a kingdom with magic and wonder. Asha, played by Ariana Debose, gets the chance to become the sorcerer’s apprentice. It just so happens that the sorcerer is King Magnifico, played by Chris Pine, ruler...

Published:Monday | November 20, 2023 | 12:09 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Taking on the untold history of a villain is no simple task. After all, Darth Vader becomes far less threatening when he’s depicted as a child tinkering with droids. Show too much innocence lost before the downfall, and there starts to be a...

Published:Tuesday | November 14, 2023 | 12:05 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

The Marvels is a film that tries to be many things. It’s a direct sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, a follow-up to the television series, Ms. Marvel, WandaVision, and Secret Invasion, and it functions as the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic...

Published:Tuesday | October 31, 2023 | 12:08 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Years of development woes made it seem as though the film version of Five Nights At Freddy’s was simply not meant to be. Finally, the video game phenomenon makes it to cinemas. The story centres around a young man named Mike Schmidt. A troubled...

Published:Wednesday | October 25, 2023 | 12:05 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

Chronicling the brutal string of murders that plagued the Osage people in the 1920s, Killers of the Flower Moon had no choice but to be bleak. The characters in the film range from prey to predator, finding themselves somewhere on that spectrum....

Published:Friday | October 20, 2023 | 12:09 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

In a once in a lifetime opportunity, fans of Taylor Swift will be able to experience a taste of a live performance by the megastar music sensation. The dazzling costumes, the quirky choreography, and of course, the catchiest of tunes. It’s not...

Published:Saturday | October 14, 2023 | 12:08 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

For many, the Negril sunset is a beauty to behold, but this past weekend, the main attraction came after the sun went down. In its fourth iteration, the Skylark Film Festival has grown bigger than ever before. This time delivering the most content...

Published:Tuesday | October 10, 2023 | 12:09 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

As far as serial killers go, Jigsaw is truly one of a kind. By not delivering the killing blow, putting his victims in the driver’s seat, he’s one step removed from his criminal acts, and thus takes on a moral code to his horror. It’s enough to...

Published:Monday | October 2, 2023 | 12:08 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

As a fan of the films District 9, Blade Runner and other dystopian science fiction, I was acutely excited to see The Creator. Then again, having enjoyed Logan and The Last of Us in recent years, Gareth Edwards’ story of a rugged soldier escorting...

Published:Friday | September 22, 2023 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

In the 13 years since the first Expendables was released, the series has struggled to affirm its relevance to me. Casting action stars from a bygone era is one thing, passing them off as the skilled heroes they once were is another. Not to mention...

Published:Monday | September 18, 2023 | 12:07 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer

As Hercule Poirot continues his cinematic comeback, the modern take on the series ventures towards the supernatural. Based on the Agatha Christie novel Hallowe’en Party, A Haunting in Venice features, well, a haunting in Venice. The great detective...

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