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
Tag: Comedy
Dead Sushi: wacky comedy horror film takes pot-shots at corporate culture and greed, and food obsessions
Noboru Iguchi, “Dead Sushi” (2012) In the tradition of wacky Japanese comedy horror flicks comes
French and French-language Films
Supervenus: a 3-minute critique on Western standards of female pulchritude and the damage they cause
Frédéric Doazan, “Supervenus” (2013) This 3-minute debut effort for writer / director Frédéric Doazan is a devastatingly
My Winnipeg: an intriguing blend of memoir, documentary and surreal dark fantasy in a paean to a little city on the prairie
Guy Maddin, “My Winnipeg” (2007) An unusual blend of memoir, documentary and dark fantasy, Guy
RoboGeisha: a quirky and outrageous sci-fi film with a message of love, connection and reconciliation
Noboru Iguchi, “RoboGeisha” (2009) For a film about two sisters and their love-hate relationship, “RoboGeisha”
Arabic-language Films | Middle Eastern Films
Wadjda: a heart-warming film about a girl’s desire for freedom and how she thwarts social and political restrictions to achieve it
Haifaa al Mansour, “Wadjda” (2012) A heart-warming film on one girl’s desire for freedom, especially
Cold Souls: a dull, flat and unsatisfying comedy about materialism and the nature of identity and existence
Sophie Barthes, “Cold Souls” (2009) In the vein of Charlie Kaufman’s “Being John Malkovich” but
French and French-language Films
In the Beginning: interplay of social realism and individual psychologies results in a film of self-renewal and fulfillment
Xavier Giannoli, “À l’Origine” / “In the Beginning” (2009) It’s rather too long by 30 minutes
Italian and Italian-language Films
God Willing: a brisk slapstick comedy opposing self-complacency and arrogance against humility and faith
Edoardo Maria Falcone, “God Willing / Se Dio Vuole” (2015) A gentle slapstick comedy, Falcone’s
Modern Times: sympathy for the underdog and horror at a machine society enforcing conformity and repression
Charlie Chaplin, “Modern Times” (1936) In its own way, “Modern Times” is significant as an