Contributions from Callie Petch | Little White Lies

Contributor Callie Petch

Two men performing on stage, one holding a microphone and the other playing a keyboard. The image uses a blue and white tone.
Incoming

The great biopic brain drain

by Callie Petch

In an age of Walk Hard knock-offs, why are the biopics that con­tin­ue to play it safe the biggest suc­cess stories?
Cartoon character in yellow and blue outfit holding a microphone and wearing a crown, surrounded by a vibrant, colourful urban setting.
Review

Dog Man review – zippy, beautifully constructed family fun

by Callie Petch

Dream­Works’ sec­ond fea­ture-length Dav Pilkey adap­ta­tion is a lot of bark and sol­id bite.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two men talking by the ocean, one wearing a green jacket and the other a blue plaid shirt and cap.
Review

blur: To The End review – flails for a sense of narrative closure

by Callie Petch

The lat­est doc­u­men­tary about the Brit­pop come­back kings sad­ly does­n’t reveal much that we did­n’t already know from pre­vi­ous film outings.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Stuffed animals with black-and-white X-shaped eyes and mouths, arranged in a cage-like setting.
Review

Hundreds of Beavers review – the best live-action Looney Tunes movie ever

by Callie Petch

A ruined apple­jack mak­er attempts to become a suc­cess­ful fur trap­per in Mike Cheslik’s hys­ter­i­cal and inven­tive love let­ter to slap­stick cinema.

3
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Four men wearing suits and ties, one with a large scar on his face, standing together.
Acting Up

The irrepressible screen presence of Jason Statham

by Callie Petch

One of cin­e­ma’s lead­ing hard men, the for­mer mod­el and Com­mon­wealth div­er has carved out a depend­able – and at times great­ly enter­tain­ing – niche.
A person in a white jacket stands in front of two people sitting on a wooden bench, embracing each other.
Interviews

Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace: ‘We picked up enough detective skills that we could work for Bellingcat’

by Callie Petch

The music doc­u­men­tar­i­ans dis­cuss piec­ing togeth­er a his­to­ry of the LES scene which birthed LCD Soundsys­tem, The Strokes, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Three medical staff members examining a patient, all wearing scrubs and a lab coat. The patient appears surprised, with a shocked expression on their face.
The Oscar Goes To...

Why Jackass Forever deserves the Best Editing Academy Award

by Callie Petch

Com­e­dy is a fre­quent­ly over­looked genre when it comes to pres­ti­gious awards, but Jack­ass For­ev­er proves that it takes a lot of effort to effort­less­ly look foolish.
Four women of various ages, some with glasses and one wearing sunglasses, in a room with warm lighting and furniture. The composition features their facial expressions and interactions.

A new batch of films explore the importance of whisper networks in protecting women

by Callie Petch

She Said, Call Jane, Hid­den Let­ters and Women Talk­ing form a quar­tet that depicts how women have worked to cre­ate their own means of rebelling against abus­es from the patriarchy.
Stylised illustrations of a young girl and a small creature sitting on a tree branch, surrounded by a round orange background with colourful patterns.
In Praise Of

The non-binary subtext of Wolfwalkers

by Callie Petch

The twin jour­neys of Robyn and Mebh toward self-accep­tance reflect the real-life jour­ney of many queer and gen­der-non­con­form­ing peo­ple toward embrac­ing their identity.
Shocked cartoon characters in a car, expressions of fear and surprise.
Interviews

Chris Butler on ParaNorman: ‘We wanted it to feel like a rollercoaster’

by Callie Petch

The co-direc­tor of the weird and won­der­ful stop motion mod­ern clas­sic Para­Nor­man reflects on the film’s lega­cy a decade later.
A man with a serious expression, wearing a dark jacket, looking towards the camera.
Festivals

I Love My Dad – first-look review

by Callie Petch

A father imper­son­ates a young woman online in a bid to get clos­er to his son in James Morosini’s promis­ing but frus­trat­ing debut.
Smiling boy in red and green costume hugging large green dinosaur with red horns against yellow background.
Festivals

My Father’s Dragon – first-look review

by Callie Petch

Car­toon Saloon return with a poignant tale of a boy who sets out on a quest to find a drag­on in peril.