A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Rupert Sanders, “Ghost in the Shell” (2017) In adapting a major Japanese anime series into a potentially lucrative movie franchise, Hollywood opted for a standard origin…
Italian and Italian-language Films
Gian Micalessin, “Ukraine: the Hidden Truth” (2017) A short but very pithy Italian documentary, “Ukraine …” focuses on the notorious episode in Kiev in mid-February 2014…
Takashi Miike, “Blade of the Immortal” (2017) Condensed from 30 volumes of manga into a single work of about 140 minutes, this film was probably always…
Tim Wilkime, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 16: Adam Ruins the Future)” (2017) As the last episode of its season, “Adam Ruins the Future” should…
Kenneth Branagh, “Murder on the Orient Express ” (2017) At least superficially this film is quite enjoyable to see Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot…
Laura Murphy, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 15: Adam Ruins Science)” (2017) Television programs about science and scientific studies may abound in many forms (as…
British Films, Eastern European Films
Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, “Loving Vincent” (2017) Most viewers will probably be bowled over by the use of oil paintings on canvas as animation cels…
Tim Wilkime, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 14: Adam Ruins Halloween)” (2017) Beneath the silliness is a sobering message that the scariest thing about life…
Kim Ji-hoon, “Ta-weo / The Tower” (2012) Maybe its similarities to the World Trade Center twin tower building collapses are too much in the way of…
Laura Murphy, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 13: Adam Ruins Wellness)” (2017) Once again gatecrashing the most unlikely places – like right in the middle…