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Johnxf
Starting with submissions to script competitions, John eventually had a short, KEEPER, produced in 2017/18 and followed that up by winning the 7 Kisa Film (7 Short Film) festival in Turkey with a live action short based on the atrocities in Bosnia, called, ‘Out of Body Experience’ (2018).
John then collaborated with a director based in New York (Dmitry Torgovitsky) on a short about the capriciousness of life: Rock, Paper, Scissors (2019); this was followed up by another short he wrote and had produced, The Right Vintage (2020), as directed by Trace Winter.
John recently completed his first full-length feature in the horror-thriller genre, co-written with Dmitry Torgovitsky, and that script is currently doing the rounds both in Hollywood and with interested parties in the Middle East and Africa. A further short - Occam's Razor - has just been completed after a shoot in Canada by Ranjit Singh. Occam's Razor and The Right Vintage will tour festivals during 2021.
Ratings
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Reviews
Quo vadis, Aida? (2020)
An essential film to view
An oft used mantra that followed the Holocaust of WWII was that an atrocity of that nature should never happen again. Yet it continues to this day with shocking regularity. Rwanda is one dark example and Srebrenica another with 8,000 men and boys slaughtered at the hands of the brutal Serbs.
Shown from the perspective of a translator to the UN forces in Srebrenica, Quo Vadis, Aida, ramps up the tension as the Bosnians try to survive in the 'safe camp' manned by Dutch UN troops.
The trains and cattle trucks of the Holocaust are replaced here by buses but the effect and consequences are the same.
It is ironic that the international court of justice is based in the Hague, where the Serb war criminals were tried. Yet it was the impotence of the Dutch forces on the ground in Srebrenica that led to the massacre.
The Serbs were clearly guilty of mass murder but the Dutch were culpable too for gross dereliction of duty.
This is an important film and one that I hope as many people watch as possible.
Jawbone (2017)
Jawbone packs a punch
Boxing has proved fertile ground for writers and directors. Jawbone is certainly a welcome addition and deserves to be seen. One of the strongest elements to film is the tight script that like its protagonist is lean and, eventually, determined.
The film starts with Jimmy McCabe (Johnny Harris) having reached rock bottom, viewing the world through the bottom of a vodka bottle and close to eviction from his late mother's flat. Very much a character driven piece, the film involves and reveals slowly with small vignettes of Jimmy and those who supported him.
Ray winstone and Ian mcshane are excellent but it's Michael smiley who takes the plaudits as Jimmy seeks some kind of redemption. Well worth searching out!!
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Allen back to his best
For anyone who has romance in his/ her soul then you want to see this film. The casting is very good and Owen Wilson makes for a very engaging lead character. The scenes after Midnight are a delight and there are stand-out performances, particularly Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali. Paris is made to look like a place you would long to be in, ignoring the horrendous traffic. There are some great one-liners and casual asides - watch out for the riff on Matisse. It is always said that if a film seems to pass quickly, its a hallmark of a good, engrossing film. This one seemed to last for an instant and yet lasted in the memory for hours. Woody has rediscovered his mojo in Paris and the after Midnight club is the best place to be.
Drive (2011)
Glorious Opportunity Missed
Everything about this film should have pointed towards a classic but its ultimately an opportunity missed. The film is well cast, the soundtrack is fantastic (Cliff Martinez), the cinematography with washed-out neon is great to look at. The problem is at the heart of the movie and the lack of compelling reason for the driver to take the actions that he does at the end. To suggest that he sympathises with the husband fresh out of jail and running with the same people that he drives for is laughable. There could have been a much stronger reason (the son and/ or wife is shot as a result of a failed heist by the husband) that would have resulted in the driver resorting to his actions. Could have been great; is actually average at best.