Yes, it is that time of the year again. Like last year, I’m planning to entertain you with my adventures as a volunteer for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. The Festival officially opens on February 18th; so from then on you’ll get regular updates on what it’s like to rip of tickets, collect sticky rubbish from under cinema chairs and meeting the occasional celebrity, all while serving in one of the many venues of the festival. Plus also try to provide some insight on this rare occasion that World Cinema and Hollywood make a stopover in Dublin.

Whereas last year’s motto was “finding favourite films”, this year the festival seems even more diverse with spotlights on Korean, Russian and of course Irish cinema. And it is officially dedicated to one of it’s founders, Michael Dwyer, who passed away recently.

Among my personal picks this year are:

City of Live and Death - a Chinese movie about the so called “Rape of Nanking” in the Sino-Japanese war in 1937, directed by Lu Chuan. Warning: graphic images in the trailer!

Capitalism – a love story – Michael Moore’s inimitable look on capitalism and world economy.

Same Same but different – German director Detlev Buck tells the story of a German backpacker who falls in love with a Cambodian prostitute.

And last but by no means least: Valhalla Rising – Nicholas Winding Refn’s (Bronson) grimy Viking movie:

Please stay tuned for more movie madness on this channel errr blog.

Last week, Universal Pictures Ireland invited some of your favourite bloggers to attend a screening of the 1941-movie-classic The Wolfman at the private Denzille cinema ; a promotion event for their upcoming remake of the same movie featuring Benicio Del Toro.

Even though I’m not a big film buff, I did enjoy watching such an “old” movie on the big screen. Especially when comparing the cinematic techniques then and now: where most movies today are not so much about camera angles and facial expressions but more about blowing things up and animate blue-skinned aliens with computers, the classic movies of the 30ies and 40ies had to transport their story with much more detail. No wonder people like Lon Chaney became big stars wearing outfits that by today’s standards can only be called ridiculous – their audience had nothing to compare it with except their imagination.

So I’m really looking forward to see the remake, officially released to Dublin cinemas on February 12th. But as Benicio Del Toro is not only starring but also acting as producer, and the film also stars Sir Anthony Hopkins I have high hopes that it will do justice to the original. Here’s a glimpse:

A big thank you to the folks at Universal Pictures and Simply Zesty for a great evening.