A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Australian and New Zealand Films
Len Lye, “Tusalava” (1929) It must have been astonishing enough when it was first released with its original piano music score by woefully under-rated Australian experimental…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014) Just when you think that everything that can be done in the horror film…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Mitchell Hawkes, “Heavenly Pop Hits: the Flying Nun Story” (2002) A long overdue and welcome survey of a particular music scene at a particular time in…
Australian and New Zealand Films, British Films
Paul Campion, “Night of the Hell Hamsters” (2005), “Eel Girl” (2008) Film shorts are a flexible medium for telling particular kinds of stories or expressing ideas…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Lee Tamahori, “Once Were Warriors” (1994) An intense film from New Zealand of a family in an impoverished and degraded social environment dominated by alcohol, a…
Australian and New Zealand Films
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…