Jiro dreams of Sushi: a meditation on work, the quest for perfection and father / son relationships
David Gelb, “Jiro dreams of Sushi” (2011) Surely this documentary should have a great deal of significance for me as my parents ran a restaurant for…
Prophets of Science Fiction (Episode 1: H G Wells): well-presented if restricted portrait of influential SF writer
Declan Whitebloom, “Prophets of Science Fiction (Episode 1: H G Wells)” (2011) For some reason, SBS TV chose to screen this episode last even though it’s…
Prometheus: a mess of clichés with sick jokes, wooden characters, bad plotting and B-grade sci-fi tentacle bondage
Ridley Scott, “Prometheus” (2012) Originally conceived as a predecessor to “Alien” and its successor films, “Prometheus” is Ridley Scott’s attempt to answer questions left by his…
The World Tomorrow (Episode 8: Cypherpunks – Part 1): chatty conversation about online surveillance, loss of privacy and reclaiming online freedoms
Julian Assange, “The World Tomorrow (Episode 8: Cypherpunks – Part 1)” (Russia Today, 5 June 2012) Yes, you read that right and it’s not a typo:…
Japanese Films, Middle Eastern Films
Fukushima Fallout: even-handed survey of situation in northeast Japan, one year after the earthquake / tsunami / nuclear meltdown disaster
Kathy Hearn, “Fukushima Fallout” (101 East / Al Jazeera, 8 March 2012) A year after the combined earthquake / tsunami / Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant explosion and…
Hollywood between Paranoia and Science Fiction: lightweight look at American phobias and anxieties through science fiction films
Clara and Julia Kuperberg, “Hollywood between Paranoia and Science Fiction” (2011) An entertaining and lightweight look at famous Hollywood science fiction films made since the early…
The Stark Truth: Interview with Joseph Fasciani – an informative and valuable hour with social credit / small-scale capitalism advocate
Robert Stark, “The Stark Truth: Interview with Joseph Fasciani” (Voice of Reason, 27 April 2012) With the global financial industry coming under greater public scrutiny and…
The World Tomorrow (Episode 7: Occupy Movement): a lively discussion which cuts out before the really interesting parts
Julian Assange, “The World Tomorrow (Episode 7: Occupy Movement)” (Russia Today, 29 May 2012) Unfortunately the transcript of this episode is unavailable so this review is…
The Birds (dir. Alfred Hitchcock): psychological study of sexual / cultural repression
Alfred Hitchcock, “The Birds” (1963) Based on a 1952 short story by English writer Daphne du Maurier – one of Hitchcock’s favourite sources for film plots…
The Stark Truth: Interview with Marc Armstrong – the case for public banks
Robert Stark, “The Stark Truth: Interview with Marc Armstrong” (Voice of Reason, 7 May 2012) With recent public anger at the behaviour of large private banks…