A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Sion Sono, “Suicide Club / Jisatsu Sakuru” (2002) Famous for its controversial premise, full-on gory presentation and an arresting opening sequence of 54 school-girls jumping off…
Franciszka and Stefan Themerson, “The Adventure of a Good Citizen / Przygoda czlowieka poczciwego” (1937) Experimental film-making got off to an early start in Poland in…
Stanley Kubrick, “A Clockwork Orange” (2013) Not a bad film but for what it is, “A Clockwork Orange” is fussy and relies too much on shock,…
Alex Cox, “Repo Man” (1984) Dare I say that with the passage of time, this little cult science fiction comedy thriller film will come to be…
British Films, French and French-language Films
Kurt Engfehr, Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, “The Yes Men Fix the World” (2009) Well no, actually they don’t but that was a pretty good little…
Joel Coen, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) An amusing road film based on Homer’s The Odyssey, “O Brother …?” takes viewers on a quick and…
Harmony Korine, “Spring Breakers” (2012) Contrary to most reports I’ve seen or heard about this film, “Spring Breakers” is actually a very well-made piece with a…
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
Pablo Larraín, “No” (2012) Set in late Pinochet-era Chile when the old dictator general, under international pressure to allow democracy to return to the South American…
Akira Kurosawa, “The Hidden Fortress” (1958) Inspiration for George Lucas’ “Star Wars: A New Hope”, the 1978 space-fantasy flick that spawned an industry, this unusual historical…
Trey Parker, “Team America: World Police” (2004) A silly and puerile satire on American society, culture, the nature of power and the celebration of style over…