Evrim Ersoy

Freelance journalist

United Kingdom

Film Fanatic, Man About Town, Co-founder of 'The Duke Mitchell Film Club'

Portfolio

2014

Electric Sheep Magazine
09/27/2014
Alleluia

One of the most talked-about films on the horror and fantasy film festival circuit had its UK premiere at Film4 FrightFest in August. Fabrice du Welz's Alleluia is based on the real-life story of the 'Lonely Hearts Killers': in 1940s America, Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck would find their victims through 'lonely-hearts' ads and murder them after Raymond married the victim.

Electric Sheep Magazine
09/27/2014
Starry Eyes

The question is as old as cinema itself: what would you do for stardom? Sarah is an aspiring actress rotting in a two-bit job surrounded by dead-end pretentious hipster friends. But she is different - she knows she will make it no matter what.

Electric Sheep Magazine
09/23/2014
Honeymoon

In what was one of the highlights of the Discovery Screen programme at Film4 FrightFest, newly-married couple Paul and Bea arrive at her family's cabin in the woods for their honeymoon. Although she hasn't visited the cabin for years, her memories of the place are positive, and quickly the two settle into a peaceful routine: walks in the woods, pancakes for breakfast and the discovery of marital routine.

Twitch
09/04/2014
Motelx Unveils Another Breathtaking Edition

Celebrating its 8th Edition, Motelx is set to storm Lisbon next week with a plethora of screenings, events, parties, masterclasses and much, much more. Bringing genre love to the gorgeous city of Lisbon, Motelx has grown from small roots into an exciting and wonderful boutique festival which not only showcases the year's best but also snags some of the hottest films coming up.

Vérité Film Magazine
08/01/2014
The Festival Agenda: Film4 FrightFest

Offering a snapshot of horror and fantasy genre over five days, the Film4 FrightFest has grown from modest beginnings to become one of the key players within the London film scene: with countless premieres, a plethora of guests and unexpected but delightful surprises.

Electric Sheep Magazine
07/21/2014
The Battery

The Battery It's not easy to explore genre films nowadays without running into the zombie apocalypse sub-genre: a popular topic for both studio and independent films, the scenario has been explored from almost every angle imaginable.

Vérité Film Magazine
07/01/2014
Bold Observer: Jean-Charles Hue

Starting off as a video artist, Jean-Charles Hue’s work has slowly evolved over the years – his quest to discover his own identity, to understand the nature of the communities living on the edges of society giving his material a narrative unexpected.

Electric Sheep Magazine
06/05/2014
Cheap Thrills

Cheap Thrills Director E. L. Katz's Cheap Thrills is an incredibly timely and unexpectedly thrilling dark comedy which goes to places that you never expect. An astute and wicked journey, it's shot with a keen eye for the absurd and the grotesque.

Vérité Film Magazine
06/01/2014
Cannes 2014: A View from the Market

If you've been to a film festival before, chances are you’ll have a rough idea of what to expect – there’s a certain rush present in every major festival that will be fairly familiar. However Cannes takes that expectation and multiplies it by a 1000 – turning it into one of the densest and most intense experiences imaginable on this planet.

Vérité Film Magazine
06/01/2014
Great Dane: Christoffer Boe

One of the leading figures of current European cinema, Christoffer Boe also remains one of the most mysterious and idiosyncratic figures to come out of Denmark.

Electric Sheep Magazine
05/02/2014
Blue Ruin

Blue Ruin Director Jeremy Saulnier made waves in 2007 with his debut feature Murder Party, a well-constructed, perhaps a little over-ambitious horror-comedy that was head and shoulders above most of the mainstream releases coming out that year.

Twitch
04/12/2014
Let The Blood Flow: ANTIDOTE And The Re-Emergence Of Turkish Action Cinema

Earlier this week Twitch shared the trailer for upcoming Turkish hitman thriller Panzehir ( Antidote) and we've since had the chance to speak with writer-director Alper Çağlar about his latest effort and Turkish action cinema in general. What is the genesis for Panzehir (Antidote)?

T-VINE
03/27/2014
Özcan Deniz's Su ve Ateş: a familiar and clichéd story

is Özcan Deniz's third attempt at becoming a filmmaker; he may have the technical credits, but his ability to write and construct a story leaves much to be desired. Aimed squarely at Deniz's fans, the film tells the impossible love story between Kemal (aka Hasmet) and Yağmur who meet on a flight to...

Twitch
03/10/2014
Kneaded With Terror: GULYABANI And The Identity Of Horror Within Turkish Cinema

Orçun Benli is one of the young directors working within Turkey who has chosen to venture into horror -creating a unique film which instead of the Islamic horror which most of the genre within the country has been steadily mining turns its gaze to a classic figure within Turkish myth and literature, the Gulyabani, with the trailer for the film going live last week.

Twitch
03/07/2014
A Turkish Eye For Horror: An Interview With AMMAR Director Ozgur Bakar

The recent debut of the trailer for Ozgur Bakar's Ammar got quite a few people excited. Looking like a combination of The Evil Dead and old-school atmosphere reliant horror film, Ammar represents one of the ever-growing new wave of horror alongside others like Can Evrenol and Orcun Benli.

Vérité Film Magazine
03/01/2014
Hail the King Rajinkanth

If John Woo made heroic bloodshed the insane opera of violence then credit has to go Rajinikanth who practically created a new sub-genre of masala film.

Vérité Film Magazine
03/01/2014
...And Then We Take Berlin

Holding a place of high-esteem amidst the big European film festivals, Berlin International Film Festival remains one of the most prestigious platforms for new films appearing on the festival circuit.

Vérité Film Magazine
03/01/2014
Review: The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears

An aesthete’s dream, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears is a sumptuous exercise in experimental re-purposing of the giallo vocabulary – a sensory assault which never allows the audience easy access.

Vérité Film Magazine
03/01/2014
The Festival Agenda

With Italian cinema making waves across the world, London sees the return of one of the most prestigious film events on its calendar – Cinema Made in Italy.

Electric Sheep Magazine
02/07/2014
Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas In the tradition of Hollywood thrillers of the 80s like The Burbs, Odd Thomas is a delightful, offbeat yet mainstream film that will be sure to please those looking for some old-school thrills. Anton Yelchin plays Odd Thomas, a short-order cook with the ability to see dead people, who uses his powers to bring killers and murderers to justice.

Vérité Film Magazine
02/01/2014
The Wild Inventor Fruit Chan

An iconoclast in his hometown of Hong Kong, Fruit Chan is one of the brilliantly fruitful directors of his generation: his reputation as a wild, inventive director is well deserved.

Otekisinema
01/14/2014
Yalnızlık da bir Lanettir: Rigor Mortis | Öteki Sinema

80'lerin ortalarında Çin sinemasında baş gösteren ve komedi - korku türlerini harmanlayan Mr. Vampire çok önemli bir yol taşı sayılır - popüler sinemada o zamana kadar daha çok CAT III olarak adlandırılan istismar filmlerinin ilk defa popüler kültüre geçiş yapması olarak nitelendirebilen bu ilk örnek filmin ana oyuncusu Si-hou Chin'i de bir anda yıldız statüsüne yükseltir.

Electric Sheep Magazine
11/16/2013
Sitges 2013

If there is one place on Earth where film lovers can truly find solace, it has to be in Sitges during the Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, which this year celebrated its 46th birthday, presenting yet another packed programme to a hungry audience.

Vérité Film Magazine
01/01/2014
The Dark World of Calvin Lee Reeder

“Even on the festival circuit where unusual talent is easier to find, Reeder represents something exciting: a young filmmaker not afraid to take risks in favour of creating something unique.”

2013

Vérité Film Magazine
11/01/2013
Where Cinema Thrives

Sitges is a textbook Mediterranean town with lovely beaches, fresh seafood, a distinctly laissez-faire vibe and a truly fantastic festival. Regular attendee Evrim Ersoy notes this year’s highlights

Vérité Film Magazine
11/01/2013
'Deconstructing the Myth'

“To a viewer willing to invest time, these films are as rich as Leone’s mining of the myths of the Wild West. They turn time-tried concepts on their head and demand that audiences look at familiar territory with fresh eyes. It is almost guaranteed Xu Haofeng’s next effort will be.”

Vérité Film Magazine
11/01/2013
In Living Colour

“The lead actresses anchor the film in honest and palpable desire. Exarchopolous – her face an incredible mirror of human emotion, desire, confusion, fear and anger – like all of love and history condensed into one teenage girl. ”

Electric Sheep Magazine
10/06/2013
V/H/S/2

V/H/S/2 If the first V/H/S film was a tentative but flawed attempt to breathe some life into the well-worn anthology format by combining nostalgic longing and creepy storytelling, this second instalment represents a coming-of-age of the most over-the-top kind: like the unruly brother who bursts in the door at the most importunate moment, V/H/S/2 is loud, brash and brilliant.

Electric Sheep Magazine
09/20/2013
Film4 FrightFest 2013 - Part 2

We follow up Part 1 of our Film4 FrightFest 2013 coverage with more reviews of some of the most notable films in this year's line-up.

Electric Sheep Magazine
09/05/2013
Pieta

Representing a true return to form for the Korean maverick filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, Pieta is a relentless, brutal and brilliant exploration of the human psyche set within the cramped industrial grounds of Cheonggyecheon, a regeneration project in downtown Seoul. Gang-do works as a collector for a loan shark in the aforementioned industrial area, which is slowly turning into a slum.

Vérité Film Magazine
08/01/2013
Depeche Mood: Policier of Truth

“Although his storytelling is less than pitch perfect, his characters are so compelling that the audience finds itself lost within the rich, gritty world of these beautifully flawed figures.”

Vérité Film Magazine
08/01/2013
Call Girl: Responsibility & Love

“The script reminded me of films like All the President’s Men, Serpico and Klute – from the golden age of American film history in the 70s.”

Electric Sheep Magazine
07/25/2013
Punchdrunk and the Cinematic Theatre

Recent years have seen the mediums of theatre and cinema become closer than ever before: while the two have always had crossovers, the results have been hit and miss. But as theatre tries to reach out to an even wider audience, with National Theatre Live broadcasting across cinemas in the UK, and established directors such as Danny Boyle taking charge of theatrical productions, these events are becoming more and more commonplace.

Vérité Film Magazine
07/01/2013
Genre in Disguise: Step into the Mind of Kelvin Tong

“Tong’s creations are unlike Sadako in Ringu – they are portrayed mainly as lost spirits – visiting our realm for a limited time, not really able to affect what happens around them.”

Vérité Film Magazine
07/01/2013
Review: You’re Next

Delayed nearly two years after its initial festival run, Adam Wingard’s smart take on the home-invasion movie might not re-write the rule book – however the sheer energy on screen is more than enough to ensure the film is a resounding success.

Electric Sheep Magazine
06/23/2013
The East

A terrific follow-up to the 2011 sleeper hit The Sound of Voice, is a stellar, subversive effort from director Zal Batmanglij, within a well-worn framework. Sarah (exquisitely played by Britt Marling, who also co-wrote the script) is an operative for a private intelligence firm who is chosen by her boss Sharon (Patricia Clarkson on top form) to infiltrate an eco-terrorist group known as 'The East'.

Electricsheepmagazine
05/29/2013
Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath Arrow Video has been steadily building an impressive collection of genre restorations, including maestro Mario Bava's most successful film, Baron Blood (1972), as well as his earlier anthology film Black Sabbath, which is made up of three short stories, each one showcasing a different subgenre of horror.

Electric Sheep Magazine
05/06/2013
A Hijacking

An impressive sophomore effort from Tobias Lindholm, A Hijacking tells the story of a Danish cargo ship taken over by Somali pirates, and the efforts to negotiate a peaceful and non-violent end to the affair by those back in Copenhagen.

Electric Sheep Magazine
05/06/2013
Istanbul International Film Festival 2013

The jewel in the crown of Istanbul's buzzing cultural scene, the Istanbul International Film Festival. is a unique event that acts as a crucial bridge between east and west - it's hard to deny the importance the festival plays in unearthing Asian and Middle Eastern films, screening them alongside their European counterparts.

Electric Sheep Magazine
04/25/2013
In the Fog

In the Fog Based on the novel of the same name by Vasil Bykov, Sergei Loznitsa's follow up to the wonderful My Joy is a hard-hitting, brilliant experience. The year is 1942 and the place is the Western frontier of the USSR - Sushenya (Vladimir Svirskiy) is suspected of collaborating with the Germans after he is let go when three of his co-workers are hung.

Vérité Film Magazine
04/01/2013
Melancholy & Longing: The Stylish and Lonely World of Xavier Dolan

“Visually Laurence Anyways is a masterpiece – choosing to shoot in 4:3, Dolan makes each frame an exquisite painting. A touch of the old masters is undeniable as both depth and tracking are used in the way a painter accentuates emotion with a brushstroke.”

Electric Sheep Magazine
03/12/2013
Maniac

Maniac Set across a dreamy and melancholic cityscape, Franck Kahlfoun's take on William Lustig's notorious 1980 shocker might well be the best genre film to be released this year. Read our Comic Strip Review of the original Maniac.

Electric Sheep Magazine
03/01/2013
Stoker

Stoker marks Korean director Park Chan-wook's first foray into making a Hollywood feature in English, but he has not strayed too far from his roots. Following on from the themes he explored in his previous movies, Stoker is a sexually deviant tale of lust, jealousy and the very unenviable task of coming of age, explored with much of Park's customary visual style.

Electric Sheep Magazine
01/17/2013
V/H/S

V/H/S An interesting exercise in combining the portmanteau picture and the found-footage genre, V/H/S is the new offering from some of the hottest indie directors on the block (Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence).

2012

Electric Sheep Magazine
12/22/2012
Grabbers

Grabbers Grabbers is one of the most persistently entertaining and thrilling films of this year: a throwback to the B-movies of the 50s, it's a smart film that uses Irish locations and humour to create a unique spin on the genre.

Electric Sheep Magazine
12/05/2012
Seven Psychopaths

Martin McDonagh is one of the most talented wordsmiths working today, as well as a very accomplished director with an uncanny sense of framing. His previous film, In Bruges, was a modern masterpiece: funny, intelligent, moving and violent, its script was of a calibre we don't see very often nowadays.

Electric Sheep Magazine
11/21/2012
Sitges 2012

Now in its 45th year, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia once again turned a small corner of Spain's Costa Brava into a mecca for genre fans. Creating perhaps what is the most comprehensive and detailed snapshot of horror, fantasy and science fiction in 2012, the festival featured over 200 movies as well as retrospective screenings, star introductions, masterclasses and much, much more.

Screenjabber
11/01/2012
Hitman: Absolution review (Xbox 360) ★★★½

The game's been out for more than a month and all the reviews are in - so why now for this article? What more is there to say?I've been a Hitman fan since the first game - although the mechanics of the engine left a lot to be desired.