Reviews of films
In Which There’s a Lesson to be Learned One of the truisms of film watching is as follows: the greatest sin a movie can commit is not to be bad, but to be boring. While truisms tend to be overly … Continue reading Post Millennial Malaise 18: Lions for Lambs
So, if “bought the farm” means died, then what does “is about to have the farm confiscated” mean? Available in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Also Einthusan. Approximately 109-110 minutes. Natha Das Manekpuri … Continue reading WTF ASIA 162: Peepli Live (2010)
Stephen Fry invites Kenneth Branagh, Alphonsia Emmanuel, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton and Emma Thompson to a miserable party. Branagh coaxes dreadful performances from his talented cast. Peter’s Friends wants to mix the angst of The Big Chill with the broad … Continue reading LGBT Movie: Peter’s Friends (1992)
In Which it’s David V. Goliath The film landscape of the mid 2000’s is haunted. A specter looms over Hollywood and many a different production shrug underneath its shadow. There is a dark and ominous force that creeps into the … Continue reading Post Millennial Malaise 17: In The Valley of Elah
Why do kidnappings have to be so complicated? Available in Canada, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Approximately 107 minutes. It is just another morning in 1978, and no one is happy. Little Eun-joo gets yelled at by her … Continue reading WTF ASIA 161: The Classified File (2015)
Sometimes, life can just blow up in your face. Available in the United States…really? Is that it? Well, that is more than other movies, I guess. Anyways, perhaps a few other countries. Approximately 106 minutes. Shortly after Zhao Xudong was born, … Continue reading WTF ASIA 160: Explosion (2017)
Doña Herlinda has a successful son with a considerate boyfriend. But they live in a conservative community and need to keep up appearances. Can Doña find a solution? Doña Herlinda and Her Son blends family melodrama with camp farce. The … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Dona Herlinda and Her Son (1985)
A Late to the Party review of Conan the Barbarian’s original stories, comics and movie. Continue reading Late to the Party: Conan the Barbarian
In Which We Are Still in the Desert As discussed in the article about Munich, movies made about the past are never just about the past. Especially when the contemporary world is roiling through a complicated and difficult to parse moment. Such … Continue reading Post Millennial Malaise 16: Jarhead
What was that I was saying last week about trying to be good for its own sake? Well, never mind that. This is all about Japanese soldiers suffering from illness, indignities, and injuries before dying ingloriously. Oh yeah. Available in Canada, France, the … Continue reading WTF ASIA 159: Fires on the Plain (1959)
The smiling face of Smokey the Bear has managed to cross continents, far outside his Californian place of birth. Since 1944 the affable ursine mascot’s catchphrase was “Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires.” It … Continue reading Film Review: Inhabitants – An Indigenous Perspective
M has always been handsome. He’s tired of the staring, the distrust and the propositions. Tired of the scorn he’s received for complaining about it. Before he leaves town, he’ll invite a select few to visit his drugged, unconscious body. … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Entropic (2019)
In Which We Met on Montauk As elucidated through the previous articles in this series the 2000’s were a boon for a certain style of indie film. The look and aesthetic of the previous decade was ebbing in favor of … Continue reading Post Millennial Malaise 15: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Money problems. Who does not have money problems? Available in Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Also on Einthusan. Approximately 102-103 minutes. An elderly man is dozing off while riding in an autorickshaw. His … Continue reading WTF ASIA 158: Amal (2007)
In Which it’s Silence of the Lambs Meets Psycho In the early part of the 2000’s a certain pall cast over the culture. Cut from the brief moment between the turn of the century and the 9/11 attacks. This short … Continue reading Post Millennial Malaise 14: Adaptation
WTF ASIA celebrates three years of WTFness with a film inspired by the true story of a guy on trial for…attacking a judge with…a crossbow…in 2007…who has a crossbow in 2007? Available in Canada, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. … Continue reading WTF 157: Unbowed (2011)
I’d heard of Norma Rae and Sally Field’s Oscar nominated performance as the titular character when the film was released in 1979, but for some reason, I never felt motivated to see it. Something about it put me off. I … Continue reading Late To The Party: Norma Rae
ColetteDirected by Anthony GiacchinoFrance, 25mAvailable on YouTube for free here “Once I cross into Germany, I won’t ever be the same.” Colette, a 90-year-old former member of the French Resistance during WWII, says these words before making her first-ever journey … Continue reading Review: 2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films (Documentary)
After consecutive weekends of traveling, recovering from being sick, and celebrating Easter, I finally made it to the movie theater with a friend to see Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, and RZA. Odenkirk stars as … Continue reading Movie Review – Nobody (2021)
In Which There Are No Brooms on the Horizon In the mid to late 00’s there was a sudden, and honestly kind of surprising, boom of great movies. For a period over about two and a half years there was … Continue reading Post Millennial Malaise 13: Michael Clayton
Hahaha…dude got kicked in the nuts by a guy named Wang. Hahaha…right in the nuts!! Available online. Approximately 100 minutes. During a dispute, village Chief Wang Shangtang assaulted Wan Qinglai, which included kicking him in the groin. So, … Continue reading WTF ASIA 156: The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
