Guy Maddin quartet of short films: a unique style and vision at work
Guy Maddin, “Fancy, Fancy Being Rich” (2002), “My Dad is 100 Years Old” (2005), “Spanky: To the Pier and Back” (2008), “Send Her to the ‘Lectric Chair” (2009)…
French and French-language Films
Orpheus: visually lovely meditation on triumph of love over death, the role of the artist and life in Vichy France
Jean Cocteau, “Orpheus / Orphée” (1950) Intriguing re-telling of the famous ancient Greek legend set in post-WW2 Paris, this film combines surrealism, fantasy, situation comedy or…
Satan Rides the Media: how media sensationalism helped create a legend and a cult
Torstein Grude, “Satan Rides the Media” / “Satan rir media” (1998) Focussing on the sensational murder of Norwegian black metal musician Oystein Aarseth aka Euronymous by…
Ghostwatch: very funny hoax documentary that blurs reality and fiction, and raises issues about authenticity
Lesley Manning, “Ghostwatch” (1992) Subject of a post on Adam Curtis’s BBC blog, this BBC hoax drama is quite a laugh to watch. Hard to believe…
Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: excellent and well-presented documentary on the role of news media in abetting oppression
Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff, “Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land” (2003) This is a highly informative documentary on the role that the US media plays…
It Felt like a Kiss: coming across as a self-indulgent and unremarkable trip into 1960s US pop culture nostalgia
Adam Curtis, “It Felt Like A Kiss” (2009) A quirky visual montage of old newsreels and Hollywood films that documents a culturally transitional age in American…
Review of films seen in 2011: the good, the bad and the totally out-there
Dear USE visitors, It’s 2012 already! Those of you who followed the films I saw in 2011 are truly to be congratulated on your patience and interest!…
The Age of Transitions: film makes a plea for greater awareness of insidious forces threatening freedom and democracy
Aaron Franz, “The Age of Transitions” (2008) Interesting documentaries about power and control of human societies seem to be falling into my lap like there are…
The Trap … (Episode 3: We will Force You to be Free): picking apart arguments over nature of freedom
Adam Curtis, “The Trap – What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom? (Episode 3: We will Force You to be Free)” (2007) Part of Adam Curtis’s “The Trap…
The Living Dead (Episode 3: The Attic): how a romantic fantasy of a glorious past disguised a thirst for power at any cost
Adam Curtis, “The Living Dead (Episode 3: The Attic)” (1995) Having seen the mishmash that was “The Iron Lady”, I figured it was high time I…