Mash-up of all previous Alien franchise flicks delivers an uneven story in “Alien: Covenant”
Ridley Scott, “Alien: Covenant” (2017) British director Ridley Scott must have taken all the criticisms
Elvis & Nixon: amusing and light-hearted comedy of the meeting between rock star legend and the most powerful politician in the world
Liza Johnson, “Elvis & Nixon” (2016) Based on an actual incident in which the famous
French and French-language Films
The Children of Paradise: a sumptuous melodrama rich in character, the complexities of human nature and the grandeur of life
Marcel Carné, “The Children of Paradise / Les Enfants du Paradis” (1945) Made under difficult
Get Out: social criticism and philosophical inquiry in amongst a bizarre plot and interracial politics
Jordan Peele, “Get Out” (2017) Jordan Peele’s comedy horror film, his first as a director,
Aleppo Renaissance: after war, looting and destruction, a city determined to regain its rightful place as a major Middle Eastern industrial hub
Sinan Saeed and Tom Duggan, “Aleppo Renaissance” (2017) Here’s a very welcome documentary on Aleppo
Compliance: sneering at naive workers exploited by a culture that treats them as robots and brutes
Craig Zobel, “Compliance” (2012) Based on a series of incidents over a decade from the
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Raise the Red Lantern: criticising the abuse of power by those tasked with upholding tradition
Zhang Yimou, “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991) This is a beautiful film of minimal, even
Galaxy Quest: affectionate homage and spoof maintains the values of altruism, quest for knowledge and defending the underdog
Dean Parisot, “Galaxy Quest” (1999) Conceived as a homage to and spoof of the famous
Queen of the Desert: a boring and flat movie that mocks a remarkable woman and the people and region she came to love
Werner Herzog, “Queen of the Desert” (2013) Renowned German film director Werner Herzog, maker of
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Family: a moving documentary on a bizarre religious cult that preyed on social utopian ideals and yearnings for a better life
Rosie Jones, “The Family” (2016) For over 20 years, the quiet town of Eildon and