Close-Up Culture

Independent journalism on the things we love

A Delicious Tale of Cannibalism – Raw (Film Review)

UNIVERSITY is considered a place where young people begin to ‘find themselves’. Just last week, a fresh batch of A-Level students received their exams results and will now be preparing for this next identity-shaping stage of their lives. None of those students – at least I hope – will go into higher education and discover…
Sharks, Bond and Cousteau: Diving Deep on Film

THE Father of Diving’, Jacques Cousteau, is the subject of Jerome Salle’s biopic The Odyssey – out in cinemas now. It is a film well worth watching if only to remind us that Cousteau was the Neil Armstrong of the oceans who cared more for self-publicity than protecting the world’s oceans from man’s destructive influence…
15 Rounds With The Real Rocky – The Bleeder (DVD Review)

IN 1975, boxing underdog Chuck Wepner went 15 rounds with the great Muhammad Ali. The fortitude shown by Wepner, nicknamed ‘the bleeder’ for his tendency to get cut during fights, in this brutal bout provided the inspiration for little-known actor Sylvester Stallone to write box-office knockout Rocky. The rest is history for Sly and Ali.…
Marriage: As Equals or Unequals? -Just to Get Married (Theatre Review)

PLAYWRIGHT Cicely Hamilton was a remarkable woman of her time. Brought up by foster parents in the late nineteenth century – an experience she hated – she became a radical feminist and active suffragette. It is no surprise therefore that her views were powerfully reflected in some of the plays she wrote – none more…
Thank You for Six Months of Prestridge²

Prestridgesquared.com has just turned six months. It has proved an enjoyable debut as we have immersed ourselves in the best film, theatre and live music that the country has to offer. We have reviewed the latest films, attended numerous Q&As with eminent directors and watched some of the best theatre – both in the west…
Weekend Watching: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (Film Review)

‘THIS was in Texas’ is the opening message of director David Lowery’s beautifully told film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013). Lowery pays tribute to the Texas landscape with majestic visuals that befit his pensive and elegant approach to storytelling. Set in the 1970s, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a well-executed blend of tragic love story…
Dude, That Song Really Tied the Film Together: Songs That Make Movies

THE Big Lebowski’s Dude wisely said that a rug can really tie a room together. Well I believe the same applies to music and films. In other words, a great song – or piece of music – can really tie a film together. Today (August 11) A Ghost Story drifts into cinemas with its poignant…
‘Meaningful, Surreal and Ethereal’ – Director David Lowery Talks A Ghost Story

DAVID Lowery’s latest film, A Ghost Story, is a quietly spellbinding and poetic study of time, grief and legacy. Yet the film explores these themes through the rather unexpected figure of a bed sheet wearing ghost. ‘It’s ok to laugh’, the film’s well-spoken and clear-thinking director assured the audience at a Curzon Soho screening of…
Arresting and Transfixing Cinema – A Discussion of Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals

WARNING: THIS DISCUSSION OF NOCTURNAL ANIMALS CONTAINS SPOILERS TOM Ford’s adaptation of Austin Wright’s 1993 novel Tony and Susan is a compelling and transfixing cinematic experience. Masterfully edited by Joan Sobel, Nocturnal Animals slickly tells three interwoven stories: present, past and fictional. The centre point is Susan Morrow (Amy Adams), an affluent gallery owner disenchanted with…
Williams – Shining Light on a Formula One Legend (Film Review)

YOU do not have to be a petrolhead to enjoy Morgan Matthews’s moving documentary about Formula One legend Sir Frank Williams. Far from it. This tight documentary, called simply Williams, provides an illuminating insight into the world of the 75 year old who battled his way to the top of his sport against all odds.…