Zoo: film teeters gingerly around its subject and suffers for that
Robinson Devor, “Zoo” (2007) Based on the case of a Boeing employee who died from a perforated colon while being anally penetrated by a horse in…
nausika
Italian and Italian-language Films
Salo or the 120 days of Sodom: gruelling film of corruption, unfettered freedom and abuse of power that turn humans into machines
Pier Paolo Pasolini, “Salò or the 120 days of Sodom” / “Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma” (1975) Grim and harrowing to watch but an…
Italian and Italian-language Films
Medea (dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini): rich film of social analysis and the oppression of women
Pier Paolo Pasolini, “Medea” (1969) This film will always be a personal favourite of mine for its exploration of a human society and the kind of woman…
Debtocracy: good film about the 2011 Greek financial crisis and how it could be solved
Katerina Kitidi and Aris Hatzistefanou, “Debtocracy” (2011) Made on the cheap, this is a passionate and compelling documentary about the current Greek financial crisis, how it…
All Watched Over … (Episode 3: The Monkey in the Machine and the Machine in the Monkey): falling apart under its own shaky premise
Adam Curtis, “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (Episode 3: The Monkey in the Machine and the Machine in the Monkey)” (2011) Final installation…
A portrait of cultural fascism through one individual’s exploitation in “Superstar: the Karen Carpenter Story”
Todd Haynes, “Superstar: the Karen Carpenter Story” (1987) Using Barbie and Ken dolls to play the main characters in miniature sets specially made for this film…
French and French-language Films
The Tenant: psychological study of alienation, self-repression and loss of identity and control
Roman Polanski, “The Tenant” / “Le Locataire” (1976) A very good psychological study of a young man, bullied by others and trying to make his way in a…
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello: beautiful layered Gothic steampunk film steers viewers into a heart of darkness
Anthony Lucas, “The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello” (2004) A nominee for a Best Animated Short Film Oscar in 2006, this is a visually beautiful…
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (Episode 2: The Uses and Abuses of Vegetational Concepts): plausible premise founders on definitions and little historical perspective
Adam Curtis, “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (Episode 2: The Uses and Abuses of Vegetational Concepts)” (2011) Second episode in his documentary trilogy…
The American Dream (by The Provocateur Network): informative if biased documentary on money and American banking
Tad Lumpkin and Harold Uhl / The Provocateur Network “The American Dream” (2010?) This is a well-made animated documentary that tries to explain how the American people…