FILM REVIEW: Culture Vulture #5 - Bolton Film Festival

Two films from the current online Bolton Film Festival's classification 'Culture Vulture'.

1. Larkins - UK - Dir: Grandmas

'Are We Having Fun Yet?' is the spurious subtitle of this pop music video made in and around Stockport. It starts with a man walking down the street at night looking at his phone and is knocked down by a car. Instead of being dead as we expect he stands up and sings, leading The Larkins, a Manchester-based band, still bloodied and injured through their latest music video.  Just exactly what The Plaza Theatre and a military band had to do with it though I am uncertain.

2. Swan Lake Bath Ballet - UK - Dir: Corey Baker 

This film has to rate as one of my all-time favourite art films ever. 

27 ballet dancers from around the world participated in the making of this film. All filmed in their own homes, in isolation, during lockdown, and then extremely cleverly montaged together to make a choreographed and humorous spectacle which takes Tchaikovsky's most famous music from the ballet, 'Swan Lake' and puts a fresh spin on it as the dancers perform in their baths!

Humorous, clever, visually spectacular, with some superb ideas (the down feathers and the montaging were just two), with brilliant and unbeliveably together choreography.

Co-produced by The Space (UK), this was the brainchild of Corey Baker who directed, choreographed and produced the film.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 19/10/20