Tag Archives: film review
Genre Grandeur: Mac and Me (1988)
I recently took part in an excellent series called Genre Grandeur for the month of July, over at the wonderful Movierob, where the genre of the month is alien films! I used this opportunity to finally watch a bad film classic which just so happens to be about aliens – Mac and Me (1988). I […]
Marie Antoinette (2006): “Letting everyone down would be my greatest unhappiness.”
Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006) focuses on a controversial figure in France’s history; a Queen who at the end of her life was judged by public opinion rather than by her own actions. The film is a re-telling of her life from age 15 to 33, from Marie Antoinette’s betrothal to Louis XVI, to her […]
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008): “Life is short. Life is dull. Life is full of pain. And this is a chance for something special.”
Director Woody Allen’s love letter to the beautiful Catalonian capital, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) tells the tale of two American tourists enjoying a holiday in the city. They meet a charismatic Spanish artist (Javier Bardem) who approaches them with a scandalous request. Both Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) become enamoured with him, but […]
Capturing the Friedmans (2003): Quick-shot review!
An extremely confronting documentary, Capturing the Friedmans (2003, dir. Andrew Jarecki) focuses on a normal family that becomes a media sensation as a father and son are accused of heinous crimes against children. Family patriarch Arnold Friedman was a popular community figure and science teacher when, on the day of Thanksgiving 1987, he was busted […]
No (2012): “Chile, happiness is coming.”
Directed by Pablo Larraín, No (2012) tells of a tumultuous time in Chile’s history where, after intentional political pressure, its leader the dictator Augusto Pinochet called for a national referendum, so that citizens could decide whether he should stay in power for another eight years. Chileans were encouraged to vote either “YES”, for the dictator to stay […]
Thoughts on… Alone in the Dark (2005)
Early this morning I participated in the fourth Shitfest Social, where a whole bunch of film bloggers get together and watch a film at the same time and make snarky comments about it, hosted by the wonderful Cinema Parrot Disco and Isaacs Picture Conclusions. This time around we were watching Alone in the Dark (2005), […]
Castaway on the Moon (2009): Quick-shot review!
A quirky Korean drama-comedy-romance hybrid, Castaway on the Moon (2009, dir. Lee Hae-Joon) tells the story of a man stranded on an island within his own city, and a woman who observes his predicament from afar. Kim Seung-geun (Jung Jae-young) is stricken with debt problems that he can’t escape, leading him to attempt suicide by […]
The Prestige (2006): “Are you watching closely?”
One of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan’s best films, The Prestige (2006) is a feat of excellence in both its storytelling and cinematography. Set in turn of the century London, the story follows two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), as they compete with one another to perform the greatest trick […]
Come And See (1985): “They’ll find you even underground.”
A brave and confronting film about war, Come And See (1985, dir. Elem Klimov) is one of the most devastating films I’ve seen recently. Its synopsis is as follows: During WWII, a Belarusian boy is thrust into the atrocities of war, fighting with a hopelessly unequipped Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces. Witnessing scenes […]
Shitfest – Summer 2014: Ultrachrist! (2003)
Today is a very exciting day, because the infamous Shitfest is back for another season of bad movies and wonderfully snarky commentary! Here’s a little review I wrote about a lesser-known masterpiece called Ultrachrist! (2003). Note: it’s not actually a masterpiece. You can see the opening ceremony post for Shitfest here, and find the rest […]
FILM GRIMOIRE 