Break up films (kinda sorta)

I’m kinda-sorta going through a break up type-thing (I think) at the moment and while everything I have read and everyone around me tells me to stay away from romance/love/rom-com’s (they aren’t a favourite genre anyhow), I have found myself with a need to revisit some ‘relationship’ films that explore the idea that love and … Continue reading →

Closer: Psycho-sexual gymnastics

It’s difficult to ‘like’ “Closer”, but it’s difficult to simply dismiss it either – and this makes it an interesting film. I have been watching and re-watching Patrick Marber’s (1994) film adaptation of his stage drama for about 5 years; I have been enthralled every single time without every really putting my finger on exactly … Continue reading →

The Virgin Suicides (I can soooo relate)

Upfront confession: I am not a huge Sofia Coppola fan .. she tends toward the self-consciously artsy and feminist and I find I usually cannot look past this, it interferes with my suspension of disbelief. BUT. I have recently (re)watched her directorial debut “The Virgin Suicides” for the 3rd or 4th time and as flawed … Continue reading →

Director Focus: Gus Van Sant

I have decided to do a director focus regularly, mainly because many films that I enjoy can be clustered into directors so, it makes sense and will (hopefully) give some continuity. I’m starting with Gus Van Sant not because he is my favourite director, but because his body of work is sometimes overlooked in the … Continue reading →

Pan’s Labyrinth

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has created a mythical masterpiece in Pan’s Labyrinth. Part parable, part gothic phantasm, part social commentary, it is difficult to either describe Pan’s Labyrinth or, to praise it too much. This film truly is a masterpiece of cinema. Set in 1944 Spain, the fascists have won the civil war and … Continue reading →

Thoughts on three skinhead films

The word skinhead usually conjures up swastikas and other race hate memorabilia but skinheads were not always sutured to racist politics or ideas, in fact, many of the racists that came into play during the late 1980’s and 1990’s shaved their heads to look more intimidating and had nothing to do with skinheads per se … Continue reading →

Don’t talk about …

Someone had to do it: lay down some house rules that include ‘no talking about annoying hipster topics’. Guess all that chatter about obscure bands finally got to them. You can find this sign proudly displayed at a cafe in Caledonia Street, San Francisco.

More Aussie Crime: Animal Kingdom

I have just reviewed the harrowing ‘Snowtown’ (released in the US as ‘The Snowtown Murders’) here so I am going to review two more Australian films that deal with isolation, crime and the claustrophobia of circumstance; Animal Kingdom and Lantana.  Animal Kingdom is about a rather ordinary and uninteresting suburban crime family – the Cody’s – … Continue reading →

Australian True Crime: Snowtown

Australian film has the ability to take the ordinary, the mundane and make it dirty and gritty, even downright uncomfortable. Evidence of this abounds in Snowtown, a 2011 film based on the ‘barrel murders’ of Snowtown in South Australia. Snowtown (released in the USA as “The Snowtown Murders”) is not an easy film to watch. … Continue reading →

Top 25 TV Shows (post 1990)

It’s sometimes really hard to know what TV shows are worth watching and will pay off your investment of time/money. The following 25 are those that I consider to be well above average and essential viewing for anyone interested in ‘quality’ TV (not a term I would have used pre 1990). Some are more mainstream … Continue reading →

So, i’ve decided to give Fringe another go .. S4

Fringe is what I consider to be ‘B’ TV It’s ok for wiling away an hour (or part thereof) but the premise, or execution of the premise never really grabbed me. Once the parallel universe mystery was solved, it always seemed like it was trying very hard to create and sustain an interesting mythology – … Continue reading →

How Fred Killed Wesley Wyndam-Price (part 1)

The Fall and Fall of Wesley Wyndam-Price (and Why I Can Watch it Over and Over Again) I have watched BtVS & Angel, in full, about 15 times each (and Firefly about 6 times, but i’m catching up) The Rise and Fall of Wesley Wyndam-Price Angel’s original side-kick was half-demon Doyle (played by Glenn Quinn) … Continue reading →

Underbelly: Great Aussie Crime Drama

If you live in Australia or NZ there is very little chance that you haven’t heard about or watched Underbelly. It all started with the original Underbelly , a 13 part series which depicted the Melbourne gangland wars that took place between 1995-2004. Although accused of inaccuracies, the hard-hitting drama was a hit across Australia … Continue reading →

Were you at high school in the 80’s?: Freaks and Geeks

If you remember the pain and humiliation of dodgeball, then freaks and geeks is for you Yet another short-lived TV show that was perhaps ahead of its time. Freaks and geeks is a bit harder hitting than ‘That 70’s Show’ and that may explain why it was cancelled in its infancy but the legacy of … Continue reading →

Carnivale: Good and evil in the American dustbowl

It’s difficult to describe Carnivale to someone who hasn’t seen it – not only is this series visually and symbolically dense but it is mired in mythology and a universe that takes a long time to reveal itself – and even then, never does so entirely. Carnivale is not for the faint hearted viewer, it … Continue reading →