Following on from last year’s Blue Ruin, Jeremy Saulnier returns with another grisly exercise in slow building tension. Green Room follows the misfortunes of small-fry punk band The Ain’t Rights as they chart there way on a tour of north-western America. Broke and weary they agree to a profitable gig out in the styx, but upon arrival discover the club is a focal point for local neo-nazis. After riling the crowd with an enthusiastic rendition of the Dead Kennedy’s ‘Nazi…

Chemsex is the self-explanatory term used to describe the taking of drugs within a sexual context, an activity that has become increasingly prevalent within the gay community. In their film, William Fairman and Max Gogarty interview a number of men all involved in the chemsex world; from frequent ‘slammers’ of Crystal Meth, Mephedrone, GBL users, young guys new to the scene and health care practitioners. Our guide to the world of chemsex is David Stuart, an affable, non-judgemental staff member…

“Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months.”  And so, with one of the most calmly intriguing opening sentences in literature, begins J G Ballard’s 1975 novel High Rise, a dystopian/utopian dissection of life in an ultra-modern apartment block. Where the building’s new infantilising technology and amenities offers up a complete eradication of social order and…

For twenty years now Gregg Turkington has been performing under the guise of Neil Hamburger, the worlds most visible proponent of the anti-humour movement and a deliberate attempt to create the world’s worst stand up comedian at the same time. With a limply pasted comb-over, wheezy delivery and an ill-fitting tux, Hamburger is part Vegas sleaze and part misanthropic ghoul. His routine typically consists of a series increasingly bizarre and offensive one-liners: Why does Britney Spears sell so many millions…

Released to a fanfare of critical accolades at Berlin this year, Pablo Larrain’s The Club is a welcome surprise for those who believed his next film was to be a long-gestating remake of the gangster classic Scarface. Instead of grinding against the Hollywood machine he’s u-turned back to his native Chile for another lacerating dissection of power and abuse, that sets its spittle-flecked moral outrage against a backdrop of blackest humour. Whereas in Tony Manero, Post-Mortem and No, Larrain’s crosshairs…

Planetary (dir. Guy Reid) Meditation Session Yes, I meditated to a film – this was a nice little retreat from the hustle and bustle of the festival. Taking yourself away to a ‘mindfulness meditation’ session to the audio of Planetary; a poetic and cosmic journey into global perspective. It’s a visual reminder that every living thing is connected that will question your own environmental awareness. The soundscapes are mesmerising, so much so that I completely missed the bells ringing for the meditation to…

Mavis! (dir. Jessica Edwards) A force of nature would be a mildly accurate way to describe Mavis Staples, and does not do her justice. As a teenager, Mavis was fronting The Staples Singers, a family gospel group that provided the soundtrack for the early civil rights movement after being inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now 75, Mavis is still unstoppable, constantly touring, recording albums and cheekily reminiscing about Bob Dylan. Cobain: Montage of Heck (dir. Brett Morgen) It’s intimate,…

Welcome drinks To kick off the 22nd Sheffield Doc/Fest, SP took over Tudor Square for our annual welcome drinks reception. The sun was shining, the drinks were kindly sponsored by Pond 5 and there was the sweet scent of pulled pork and baking dough in the air – the perfect setting? It was great to see founding members and Shooters in the Pub hosts make an appearance, there were so many! It’s so positive to see growth of shooter communities nationally. Also, it’s encouraging to…