Films

The revolution introduced me to art, and art, in its own turn, brought me to the revolution.

Sergei Eisenstein

Thursday, 04 June 2020 18:18

Allegories of the end of capitalism

Written by Mike Wayne

in Films

Mike Wayne reviews Allegories of The End of Capitalism: Six Films on the Revolutions of Our Times, by Milo Sweedler, Zero Books 2020 Milo Sweedler’s book is an unfailingly interesting and indeed fun read from start to finish. Focusing on six films which conjure with various images of revolt against…

Wednesday, 03 June 2020 15:28

Back in Old New York

Written by Rita Di Santo

in Films

Rita di Santo reviews Woody Allen's new film, A Rainy Day in New York, with a good deal of scepticism “Don't you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like we're left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here.”…

Woody Allen Not very good lost the plot

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 30 January 2020 16:21

Marxism Goes To The Movies

in Films

Written by Mike Wayne

Mike Wayne weighs the influence of Marxism on film culture Marxist filmmakers, Marxist-influenced culture and Marxist theory, have all had a huge influence on world film culture for more than a hundred years, although it is an influence that is often denied. The struggle for control over the cinematic means…

Chaplin Eisenstein Hostiles Alea Watkins

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 23 December 2019 15:18

The Nightmare Before Christmas

in Films

Written by Jack Brindelli

Jack Brindelli offers some lessons for the radical left from an animated skeleton This December is particularly troubling for an unrepentant leftist like me. On top of the usual festival of gluttony and materialism that caps every year, I find myself living a very real nightmare before Christmas. Like many…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 09 December 2019 14:36

arise! film review

in Films

Written by Jack Brindelli

Jack Brindelli reviews arise!, the new film from Culture Matters, available to watch here. Director: Carl Joyce Writer: Paul Summers Cast: Joyce McAndrew, Amber Pearson, Brenda Heslop, Jac Howard, Jean Spence, Mollie Brown, Paul Summers Running time: 7 mins The situation in the UK is symptomatic the global political moment…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 27 November 2019 22:46

Blow It to Bits

in Films

Written by Rita Di Santo

Rita di Santo interviews the British director Lech Kowalski, director of of Blow It to Bits Timely and urgent, but not in the daily papers, Blow It to Bits is the story of workers who threaten to blow up a factory. A dense, entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking documentary, which clearly…

Lech Kowalski

Thursday, 14 November 2019 20:57

Synonyms: a denunciation of aggressive Israeli nationalism and its macho, militaristic culture

Written by Rita Di Santo

in Films

Rita Di Santo reviews Synonyms by Nadav Lapid, showing at the Seville Film Festival Seville Festival is a great place to catch up with the best in recent European cinema. Audiences can enjoy prizewinners such as the winner of Berlin’s Golden Bear, Nadav Lapid’s Synonyms. The film follows an ex-Israeli…

Friday, 08 November 2019 14:26

The Architects: a film about the reasons for the GDR's collapse

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Films

Jenny Farrell discusses The Architects, a film made in 1989/90 which traced the reasons for the collapse of the GDR 30 years ago, on 9 November 1990, the inner-German border was opened, West Berlin was flooded with shoppers, and over the next few days and weeks the East German state…

Friday, 01 November 2019 11:25

arise! filmpoem

Written by Mike Quille

in Films

Culture Matters has produced a short film, made by Carl Joyce, of the poem arise! by Paul Summers, which was sponsored by the Durham Miners' Association. You can watch the film for free on Vimeo here or on Youtube here. The film invokes the collective and co-operative spirit of past…

General Election jeremy corbyn Miners' Gala

Monday, 28 October 2019 08:48

Joker: living without class-consciousness and solidarity

Written by Fran Lock

in Films

Fran Lock reviews Joker's treatment of violence, poverty, class, gender and race, and the way it subverts 'one of capitalism's most pernicious fictions' If you want to get ahead in life, just go for it on your own. Facing obstacles? There’s nothing you can’t overcome and put right. You just…