Hellboy strikes again with Neil Marshall’s R-rated reboot of the cult comic book and movie series

Posted in Film, Trailers
By Sam Bathe on 9 Jan 2019

While Ron Perlman so effortlessly embodied the Hellboy role in the 2004 and 2008 movies, when a third film in the franchise never materialised, it still didn’t feel like the greatest loss to cinema that we wouldn’t get more of the Right Hand of Doom. When it was announced that reboot was instead in the works, with Neil Marshall slated to direct, David Harbour set to star off the back of his Stranger Things success, and crucially, the film going more adult with an R-rating, suddenly the whole thing started to feel more fresh again. Of course the plot will be retreading old ground – this time an ancient sorceress seeks to destroy all of mankind – with more grit, more gore and a horror vibe that comes to naturally to Marshall’s work, and Milla Jovovich, Sasha Lane and Daniel Dae Kim rounding off an impressive cast, hopefully Red finds a new audience when Hellboy hits threatres April 12th.

Nike’s all-weather VaporMax Run Utility sneakers return in a punchy yellow/grey/black colourway

Posted in Products, Style
By Sam Bathe on 2 Jan 2019

The latest colourway for Nike’s striking VaporMax Run Utility sneakers, this time around the grey upper is paired with yellow detail and a punchy yellow heel. Water-repellent out of the box, the VaporMax Run Utility features toggle lacing and is ready for more rugged climes with the iconic Air cushioning platform. The Nike Air VaporMax Run Utility is available in Grey/Yellow from the Nike online store: www.nike.com/t/air-vapormax-utility-mens-shoe

Justin Lin returns to the small screen to tell the story of the San Francisco Tong Wars with ‘Warrior’

Posted in Trailers, TV
By Sam Bathe on 19 Dec 2018

Based on an original concept by none other than Bruce Lee, Justin Lin returns to the small screen with martial arts crime-drama, Warrior. Based on the Tong Wars around the turn of the 20th century, Warrior tells the story of one immigrant lands in the American Old West to become a gang hatchet man. Starring Jason Tobin, Andrew Koji and Olivia Cheng, Warrior debuts on Cinemamax early 2019.

The London Listings: Chan & Eayrs’ stunning live/work home on Shoreditch High Street is the epitome of styleThe London List

By Sam Bathe on 12 Dec 2018

Occupying the entire third floor of a former factory building in Shoreditch, architecture duo Chan & Eayrs’ glorious three-bedroom live/work apartment is the epitome of design, craftsmanship and personality. Show the rest of this post…

Featuring a sweeping open-plan layout, soft green plaster walls meet texture oak joinery and a hand-made Beldi tile floor create a mesmeric living space. The attention to detail unsurpassed with hand-woven linen shutters, gold-finish kitchen fittings and a stunning roll-top pastel bathtub.

Overlooking Calvert Avenue, the apartment is located right in the heart of Shoreditch, just walking distance from Redchurch Street and Columbia Road, and is on the market with The Modern House at £3.2m: www.themodernhouse.com/sales-list/shoreditch-high-street

Jonathan Vermersch’s dynamic and playful illustrations are a journey into the unknown

Posted in Art, Illustration
By Sam Bathe on 5 Dec 2018

Jonathan Vermersch’s surreal illustrations feature vibrant colours and elongated limbs that feel forever in motion. Show the rest of this post…

Creating hectic scenes that almost animated themselves as you scan across the image, Jonathan’s style create an almost fish-eye effect, with a remarkable use of perspective that immediately knocks you off-kilter. Yet inspired by yoga and meditation, Jonathan maintains a rhythm and harmony, with characters interlocking to create a sense of control.

You can find more of Jonathan’s work on his portfolio: www.jonathanvermersch.com

Ieuan Lewis and George Warren’s powerful short ‘Uki’ tell the story of a lonely Inuit fisherman, and his dog

Posted in Film, Short Films
By Sam Bathe on 28 Nov 2018

A stunning stop-motion short directed Ieuan Lewis and George Warren, Uki tells the powerful story of a lonely Inuit fisherman living on the coast of Alaska, when an oil tanker leaks, killing all wildlife in the area. Uki is a dark comedy about companionship and pollution, telling the story without dialogue and instead owing its tone to the excellent sound design. Made with funding from the BFI, to complete Uki, the pair moved into George’s family home, with Ieuan sleeping in a tent in the garden for two months to complete the film.

The London Listings Abroad: Richard Neutra’s Elsa and Robert Sale Residence hits the market for the first time at $3mThe London List

By Sam Bathe on 21 Nov 2018

Set into the hills behind Los Angeles’ iconic Getty Museum, the Elsa and Robert Sale Residence is one of architect Richard Neutra’s lesser-known projects yet remains one of his most striking builds in the city. Show the rest of this post…

On the exclusive Tigertail Road, the 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom property features an open plan living/dining space, glorious floor-to-ceiling windows and the original swimming pool with expansive parkland views.

Though some restoration is required, the Sale Residence is on the market for the first time at $3m with viewings by appointment only via Cosby Doe: www.crosbydoe.com/address/896/1531-North-Tigertail-Road-Brentwood-CA-90049

Film Review: Suspiria

Posted in Film, Reviews
By Martin Roberts on 14 Nov 2018

Skate-Kitchen

Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria is a reimagining of Dario Argento’s 1977 cult favourite of the same name, which has become something of a touchstone for the horror genre. This “homage” to the original, to quote its director, while an interesting project in many ways, in unlikely to be remembered quite so fondly.  Show the rest of this post…

The film casts Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) as Susie Bannion, an American dance student who enlists in the Markos Dance Academy in West Berlin, in 1977, where all is very clearly not as it seems. It’s no spoiler to reveal that this dance school is presided over by a coven of witches; no spoiler because, unlike the Argento original, this film makes a conscious decision to reveal its hand early on.

That decision is a bold one, and one that I think ultimately pays off, because it allows Guadagnino to draw an eerie ‘everyday’ quality from the witches’ behaviour, which wasn’t possible in the original. It could be argued that this decision has reduced the element of mystery in the film, and thus the sense of tension, and while that may be true in one sense, it does also create a dramatic irony that makes us feel protective of the girls in the academy.

The film has much higher production values than its comparatively low-budget predecessor, and the standard of acting is also much stronger, which allows us to build stronger connections with its characters. Tilda Swinton is a favourite of Guadagnino’s (indeed, this is the third project they have worked on together) and is the film’s strongest asset as Madame Blanc, the girls’ domineering but much-loved tutor. The visuals are well done, with some nice nods to the original’s crash zooms and tracking shots, although don’t expect the film to be as vibrantly odd as Argento’s film, which was more abstract in its visual landscape. This film’s comparatively reserved visual palette is a tease, however, and is offset by its strongest individual sequence: a very well-staged denouement in which director and actors get to cut loose in sufficiently creepy fashion.

There are plenty of elements to like about Suspiria (including Thom Yorke’s moody score, which is worth a mention) but the film’s primary weaknesses lie in its structure. Firstly, the film is overlong, saddled with contextual details, primarily political, that don’t feel like they need to be there. It’s understandable that the filmmakers might have wanted to give the film a thematic drive beyond its own plot, but the diversions into politics didn’t add anything for me beyond the creation of a convincing backdrop, and so felt like diversions. Secondly, there is a subplot involving an elderly psychotherapist that fails to gel. The character feels too much like a contrivance, appearing primarily to drive the plot, and delivering lines that frequently veer into exposition. At the same time, his own subplot is given too much weight. The film appears to want to draw an emotional hook from this story that never really materialises and so, like the background political details, begins to feel like a distraction.

While the film constructs its world convincingly and has several memorable set pieces – one, in particular, involving a dance sequence of supernatural force – its structural weaknesses prevent it from establishing a consisten t sense of tension. That said, it’s by no means a bad film and certainly has power when it finds its focus; the final sequence is a case in point, and will certainly stick with me.

3/5

Oliwia Bober puts a personal twist on traditional Polish folklore

Posted in Art, Illustration
By Sam Bathe on 7 Nov 2018

Born in Poland before moving to the UK when she was 11, Oliwia Bober’s journey into illustration wasn’t always the smoothest. Finding art at school never focused on actual creative expression, then at university she never really found her feet. Show the rest of this post…

Taking a year out for mental health reasons before finishing her third year, Oliwia started painting and drawing simply to create – with any brief or deadline – and it drew out more personal themes in her work. Referncing Polish folklore, her stunning art tackles love and relationships and gave Oliwia an outlet to “express and navigate her feelings”. With a remarkable sense of form and colour, each piece tells a powerful story, putting a twist on the traditional folk style.

Check out more of Oliwia’s work on her site: www.oliwiabober.com

Photographer Adam Naples embraces the vanlife to explore cross-country Americas

Posted in Art, Photography
By Sam Bathe on 31 Oct 2018

Falling into the vanlife rather than searching it out, Adam Naples is a wedding and editorial photographer roaming northwest USA in his red VW Camper Van. Driving from Pennsylvania to California for their first trip, Adam told himself, “it’s not about the miles, it’s about the smiles,” heading out with his brother to take in some of the most stunning sites the States has to offer. Show the rest of this post…

Taking in the likes of Badlands National Park, Yellowstone, and The Redwoods, with plenty of skateboard stops along the way, Adam captures his trip with real texture to his photography and came out of it as something of an expert about vintage cars. Or moreover, how to get them going again.

Check out more of Adam’s work on his site: www.adamnaples.com

FAN THE FIRE is a digital magazine about lifestyle and creative culture. Launching back in 2005 as a digital publication about Sony’s PSP handheld games console, we’ve grown and evolved now covering the arts and lifestyle, architecture, design and travel.