Little Shop of Horrors: dark horror and farce in trashy 1960 cheapie
Roger Corman, “Little Shop of Horrors” (1960) Here’s a cute comedy horror piece made on the cheap in just two days in 1960 that speaks to…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Recipe for Murder: an entertaining look at thallium poisoning craze in society traumatised by post-war social changes
Sonia Bible, “Recipe for Murder” (2010) Contrary to what most people think about the 1950’s, the decade or the early part of it at least wasn’t…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Heavenly Creatures: a rich and dark dramatisation of a real-life matricide
Peter Jackson, “Heavenly Creatures” (1994) Having made his reputation as purveyor of gory splatter horror comedy flicks to amuse teenagers and kidults, New Zealand director Peter…
French and French-language Films
Les Diaboliques aka The Devils: psychological horror film thin on plot but thick with suspense and twisted endings
Henri-Georges Clouzot, “Les Diaboliques” aka “The Devils” (1955) At first “Les Diaboliques” doesn’t seem anything like director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s previous film “Wages of Fear”: one is…
French and French-language Films
Wages of Fear: mesmerising film about character, motivation and meaning of existence in an uncaring universe
Henri-Georges Clouzot, “Wages of Fear” (1953) On paper, this movie’s plot looks so simple, even kindergartners would yawn at it: an American oil company offers to…
French and French-language Films
Delicatessen: amusing dystopian black comedy that overdoes the oddball edge and comes out looking twee
Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, “Delicatessen” (1991) How to describe this droll French movie that tackles cannibalism in a light-hearted manner? It’s at once a dystopian…
Early Summer: visually stunning film with message about effects of change on families
Yasujiro Ozu, “Early Summer” (1951) Calm and serene with a thin plot, “Early Summer” looks at a family and the changes it undergoes as a result…
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Fringe Dwellers: gentle comedy with limited message about a family struggling with racial prejudice and discrimination
Bruce Beresford, “The Fringe Dwellers” (1986) Based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Nene Gare, this gentle and minimally made movie is a…
Palindromes: dark comedy fable of Western society’s exploitation of children and value of life
Todd Solondz, “Palindromes” (2004) A dark comedic fairy tale about a girl trapped in a life that goes around in circles, “Palindromes” does have the air…
North by Northwest: fun escapist enjoyment that encapsulates Hitchcock’s inner world
Alfred Hitchcock, “North by Northwest” (1959) After the intense “Vertigo” which initially wasn’t a great box office success, Hitchcock chose to film a light-hearted chase thriller…