Mark Oosterveen
@markoosterveen
Actor. Voice-over artist. Occasional writer/director. Frequent procrastinator. He/Him. Grand Theft Hamlet is available on Mubi now!
Superhero fatigue is real, but somehow the Spider-Man films, animated or otherwise, seem to overcome it. The new live-action movie BRAND NEW DAY is the latest example, a breezy reminder that these things used to be simple and fun
The new CHARLI XCX album has John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese on the cover. The final song features David Cronenberg. It's full of bangers. I don't quite know what is going on but I'm very much here for it
It's pretty rare that I watch a film twice at the cinema (in the space of a week), but then... this is THE ODYSSEY. It's not perfect, but it's still a monumental achievement, every scene has so much to discuss and think about. It's also making stupid people very angry. Good.
Enjoyed the new Netflix film VOICEMAILS FOR ISABELLE, which is as much about grief as it is about romance - probably why it's so effective. Also manages to get around its somewhat creepy premise by acknowledging the creepiness, and bonus points for using my favourite Robyn song
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON has now reached the level that Game of Thrones managed at its peak, where every episode is a massive OMG moment
Don't know whether it was delirious relief at the heatwave dissipating, but I watched THE SHEEP DETECTIVES last night and found it oddly delightful. Hugh Jackman and some talking sheep solve a murder. Pure cinema. Seriously though, it's weirdly interesting and very sweet x
Toy Story 5 is... fine. It's fine. Well-animated, well-written, yadda yadda yadda, all the usual stuff you'd expect from Pixar. None of which is easy, of course. But like the fourth one, something about it feels unnecessary. The third film ended so perfectly. No need for more.
Hoo boy, HOUSE OF THE DRAGON is back, and it starts with one hell of a bang. Does this show do anything quietly? Low-key? Understated? No. Do I want it to? Also, no.
An abject failure in every possible way. Should be a lesson in the uselessness of centrism. Please don’t fall for this nonsense again x
Happy Father's Day, old man. Still think about you all the time, you mad bastard. Love you x
Seems like we're spoiled for choice with horror movies lately, but there's a love letter to the genre on Apple TV right now called WIDOW'S BAY that's like the best Stephen King series he never wrote. Short episodes, each kind of standalone, scary and oddly very funny. Recommended
Shame to read that the new MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE film didn't do well with critics and at the box office. It's not perfect but it's about as decent a movie as you could expect from the source material, and miles better than the 1987 attempt. Surprisingly funny and well-written x
My current jam. Constantly on repeat. I may need an intervention
If you're stuck inside this rainy weekend, I'd recommend watching SPIDER-NOIR on Prime Video, especially with the delightful option to do so in black and white, which makes the whole vibe make a lot more sense. Nicolas Cage perfectly pitches the old-fashioned 1930s tone x
This is absolutely heartbreaking. Dying from grief at the age of 56 while her country is bombed to smithereens. No words for how sad this makes me. PERSEPOLIS (both the comic and the film) is a masterpiece, read it, watch it, remember her x
Horror films continue to tear it up at the box office (reflecting real life socially and politically, as usual), and while not the best recent example, perhaps the most impressive is BACKROOMS, due to it being defiantly its own thing, and directed by a fucking 20-year-old kid...
There's a brilliant horror film out in cinemas at the moment called OBSESSION, in case you fancy escaping from the heat this weekend. The premise might look simple but it's much smarter than it seems, and probes excruciating places around modern relationships. Bring your partner!
Escaped from the frankly offensive heat yesterday into an air-conditioned cinema to watch THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. It's fine. Got me thinking though, about Star Wars. What IS that now? What has it become? What have we done to it? What's it done to itself? And why? Why?
Would highly recommend the incredibly sentimental but really rather sweet new film REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES on Netflix, which has some nicely-pitched ruminations on grief and ageing, but more importantly a wonderful octopus as a supporting character, which improves any film
Yesterday was extraordinary. Strangers embracing in the street, grown men crying, the entire Holloway Road shut down. Old friends and new ones. 22 years coming. Football is important because it’s not important. Love to Arsenal fans everywhere x