Skip to content

FictionMachine

Deconstructing the machinery of cinema.

  • About
  • Essays Index
  • Reviews Index
  • External Reviews
  • Spoilers
drama, essayLeave a comment

“Do you want me that much?” | Gate of Hell (1953)

comedy, essay, musicalLeave a comment

“We’re on a mission from God” | The Blues Brothers (1980)

opinion, year's bestLeave a comment

10 great movie posters from 2020

list, year's bestLeave a comment

10 great films from 2020

opinion, science fictionLeave a comment

“This is the way” | Why it’s okay to like The Mandalorian, and why it’s still bad for Star Wars

essay, science fictionLeave a comment

“What kind of help do you need?” | In the Dust of the Stars (1976)

comedy, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Miss (2020)

March 3, 2021 Grant Watson

Miss is simply glorious. It is a French mainstream comedy-drama about a young person’s quest to win the Miss France beauty pageant. It does everything right. It finds comedy in characters and situations and not in mocking identities. It carries an … Continue reading REVIEW: Miss (2020)

animation, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

March 1, 2021 Grant Watson

The Walt Disney Animation Studio, pound for pound the most reliable entertainment bet in Hollywood, has struck gold again with Raya and the Last Dragon. This beautifully presented fantasy adventure should be a good bet to revive the fortunes of movie … Continue reading REVIEW: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

review, science fictionLeave a comment

REVIEW: Boss Level (2021)

February 28, 2021 Grant Watson

Films based around time loops seem more prevalent in recent years than ever: whether done for dramatic purposes, to stimulate horror films, or just to be funny, stories of people trapped re-living the same day over and over seem to … Continue reading REVIEW: Boss Level (2021)

review, thrillerLeave a comment

REVIEW: The Last Wave (1977)

February 26, 2021 Grant Watson

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this review names and references people who have died. The Last Wave is a 1977 supernatural thriller co-written and directed by Australian filmmaker Peter Weir. It followed his internationally acclaimed 1975 film Picnic … Continue reading REVIEW: The Last Wave (1977)

review, science fictionLeave a comment

REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

February 25, 2021 Grant Watson

It is remarkable, 13 years after launching with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, just how far Marvel Studios have come in producing film and television content out of their stable of comic book characters. These days it all forms an inter-related network … Continue reading REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

comedy, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: The Godmother (2020)

February 24, 2021 Grant Watson

Isabelle Huppert is easily one of the world’s most accomplished and talented actors. She is also one of its most versatile, having spread her long career across films as varied as French prestige dramas, Hollywood westerns, and even the South … Continue reading REVIEW: The Godmother (2020)

review, science fictionLeave a comment

REVIEW: Fire in the Sky (1993)

February 20, 2021 Grant Watson

If a film purports to be based on a true story, but features a man being abducted by aliens, does that make it a drama or a science fiction film? After all, science fiction inherently requires an element of science-based … Continue reading REVIEW: Fire in the Sky (1993)

horror, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: Spring (2014)

February 19, 2021 Grant Watson

The short version: Benson and Moorhead’s Spring (2014) is an excellent independent film, and absolutely worth watching if you are either a fan of their other works (The Endless and Synchronic are their two most recent films) or a fan of independent genre … Continue reading REVIEW: Spring (2014)

comedy, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016)

February 18, 2021 Grant Watson

Year in and year out, we are always going to be flush with screen adaptations of William Shakespeare. In 2016 the BBC produced a made-for-television adaptation of his comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by David Kerr and adapted and produced … Continue reading REVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016)

action, reviewLeave a comment

REVIEW: The Expendables 2 (2012)

February 17, 2021 Grant Watson

The requirements for a good sequel are fairly clear. The audience wants more of the same, but they also want something different. A change of tone, a progression of the characters, a raise in stake, or whatever transformation a filmmaker … Continue reading REVIEW: The Expendables 2 (2012)

Posts navigation

Older posts
Blog at WordPress.com.
FictionMachine
Blog at WordPress.com.
Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×