A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Northern European Films, South African Films
Jean van de Welde, “An Act of Defiance” (2017) Quite a hard-hitting and confrontational film this historical drama on the incidents and trial that sent political…
Ford Beebe, “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” (1944) It could have been an interesting character study about various individuals’ motivations and greed, and how far they’re prepared…
Clayton Swisher, “The Lobby (Episode 2: The Training Session)” (Al Jazeera, 2017) Continuing on from Episode 1 “Young Friends of Israel”, in this episode Al Jazeera’s undercover…
Italian and Italian-language Films
Lucio Fulci, “Don’t Torture a Duckling / Non si sevizia un paperino” (1973) Fret not, no ducklings, nor indeed any animals, were harmed in the making…
Clayton Swisher, “The Lobby (Episode 1: Young Friends of Israel)” (Al Jazeera, 2017) In recent years, a movement known as the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement…
Bryan Singer, “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) Astonishingly, given the rich source material and the fact that so many people are knowledgeable (or fancy themselves to be) about…
“Espionage Target – You!” (1964) Commissioned by the United States Department of Defense for training US military and civilian personnel sent abroad, this film is an…
Shane O’Sullivan, “The Real Manchurian Candidate” (e2 films, 2018) Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is notorious as the man who fatally shot Senator Robert F Kennedy, the younger…
“There are TWO Londons & Why It MATTERS” (Black Pigeon Speaks, 2017) Why indeed should we be concerned that not one London but TWO Londons exist?…
Michael Mayer, “The Seagull” (2018) Quite why this film adaptation of the famous play by Anton Chekhov couldn’t have been set in the United States in…