Harvey: a gentle plea for tolerance and the desire to opt out of the rat race
Henry Koster, “Harvey” (1950) This film about a middle-aged bachelor whose only friend and companion happens to be an invisible giant bunny rabbit could have ended…
Multi-media Presentations, North American Films
Flight MH-17 – What You’re Not Being Told: tragic airliner shoot-down incident being politicised by lies and disinformation
SCG News, “Flight MH-17 – What You’re Not Being Told” (StormCloudsGathering, 27 July 2014) As the StormCloudsGathering News website says, on 17 July 2014 two significant…
The Pricing of Everything: a wide-ranging talk on neoliberal economics and its commodification of nature
George Monbiot, “The Pricing of Everything” (SPERI Annual Lecture , Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute, University of Sheffield, 29 April 2014) Here’s a wide-ranging talk pulling…
British Films, North American Films
Bedlam Behind Bars: wringing its hands over abuses in the US prison system
Matthew Hill, “Bedlam Behind Bars” (BBC Panorama, 7 July 2014) In a country that was founded as an ambitious social experiment in democracy, freedom and the pursuit…
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Plumber: quirky character study commenting on the gulf between social classes and the sexes
Peter Weir, “The Plumber” (1979) Originally made for television, this low-budget film combines the psychological thriller with cheerful larrikin Aussie black comedy and light commentary on…
Multi-media Presentations, North American Films
The Odessa Massacre – What REALLY Happened: more information in 11 minutes than in entire mainstream news media on Odessa massacre and arson
SCG News, “The Odessa Massacre – What REALLY Happened” (StormCloudsGathering, 12 May 2014) It’s only 11 minutes long but this short documentary on the Odessa Trade…
Middle Eastern Films, Multi-media Presentations
Al-Maydeen TV Interview with Sheikh Nabeel Naiem: stunning revelations about ISIS connections with the US
“ISIS: The Bombshell Interview to Impeach Obama” – Al-Maydeen TV Interview with Sheikh Nabeel Naiem at SyriaNews (3 July 2014) Recommended by Moon of Alabama and…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Bastardy: sympathetic portrait of homeless actor highlighting resilience, generosity and being an outsider
Amiel Courtin-Wilson, “Bastardy” (2010) Several years in the making due to its subject’s predilection for stealing money to feed a heroin addiction and doing long stints…
Fascism As It Is: snapshot film of the Ukrainian crisis that indicts mainstream Western news reporting
Andrey Karaulov, “Fascism As It Is” (2014) Looking hastily made, this documentary is a snapshot of the chaotic situation in Ukraine after the massacre of left-wing…
Oldboy: arthouse film trappings cannot disguise a flimsy plot, flat characters and an empty message
Chanwook Park, “Oldboy” (2003) When I saw this film the first time over a decade ago, I was impressed with its style and colour and the…