A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Essays, Multi-media Presentations
Latika Bourke, “Alexei Navalny versus the ‘underpants poisoner'” (Sydney Morning Herald, 5 February 2021) As examples of crude mainstream media propaganda bashing Russia and in particular…
Essays, Multi-media Presentations
Vladimir Putin’s Davos online forum speech (2021) Invited to the Davos online forum organised by the World Economic Forum over 25 – 29 January 2021, Russian…
Korean Films, North American Films
David Yun, “Loyal Citizens of Pyongyang in South Korea” (2018) Made by then UCLA undergraduate student David Yun, this short terse documentary challenges the Western narrative…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Luke Sparke, “Occupation: Rainfall” (2020) Here’s a brisk and flashy science fiction action film done on a small budget with plenty of Australian bravado and no…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Len Lye, “Tusalava” (1929) It must have been astonishing enough when it was first released with its original piano music score by woefully under-rated Australian experimental…
Carlton Meyer, “The Empire’s 2016 Coup in Turkey” (Tales of the American Empire, 22 January 2021) Rather light on the day-to-day details of the attempt by…
Philippe Falardeau, “My Salinger Year” (2020) A film about finding your own voice and creative outlet, and being able to express that creativity, “My Salinger Year”…
Babak Anvari, “Two & Two ” (2011) Notable for its minimal grey and dreary setting which throws all the audience’s attention onto the dialogue, the plot…
Hubert Wala, “Strategic Flows, by Jacek Bartosiak” (Strategy & Future, 11 January 2021) Strategy & Future is a Polish thinktank founded by lawyer / speaker /…
Billy Wilder, “Some Like It Hot” (1959) Astonishingly this classic Hollywood slapstick comedy still holds up well more than 60 years after its release. The jokes…