A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Roman Polanski, “Repulsion” (1965) A good psychological character study of a young woman suffering mental illness and falling apart while alone and isolated in her sister’s apartment, “Repulsion”…
Hayao Miyazaki, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) A charming coming-of-age film about a young witch who undergoes a series of challenges, not the least of which is…
Michael Reeves, “Witchfinder General” (1968) Loosely based on the exploits of the English 17th-century witch-hunters Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne, this movie is a dark low-budget exploration…
Tommy Wirkola, “Dead Snow” (2009) For laughs, gore and stunning mountain scenery you can’t go past zombie comedy flick “Dead Snow” but there isn’t much else…
Sergei Parajanov, “Ambavi Suramis Tsikhitsa” / “The Legend of Suram Fortress” (1986) “The Legend of Suram Fortress” is based on an old Georgian folk tale as…
Sergei Parajanov, “The Color of Pomegranates (Sayat Nova)” (1969) A true labour of love, this film is a meditation on the life of the Armenian poet…
David Cronenberg, “Crash” (1996) Based on the eponymous 1973 novel by J G Ballard, this film can be viewed as a companion to it rather than…
Alfred Hitchcock, “Number 17” (1932) It has many of the ingredients of a typical Hitchcock suspense thriller film but “Number 17” is merely a daft and confusing…
Australian and New Zealand Films, Eastern European Films
Ben Ferris, “Penelopa” aka “Penelope” (2009) Lovely to look at but beautiful, almost abstract scenes of nature and long circular panning shots that lovingly savour the…
Wanuri Kahiu, “Pumzi” (“Breath”) (2009) Just over 20 minutes long, this movie short from Kenya is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a global war has rendered the…