With cinemas now awash with overly long, overly expensive, visual effects-driven franchise pieces – as they have been for some time – it is an absolutely relief to now and then stumble on a modest, small-scale, 90-minute movie. You probably … Continue reading REVIEW: Golden Arm (2020)
There is a superbly tense sequence in Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion. Co-protagonist Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) is crawling through the undergrowth while a hulking feathered dinosaur with absurdly long blade-like claws sniffs the air in search of her. She … Continue reading REVIEW: Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
“Superhuman Law” As I had expected, She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law settles down quite nicely in its second episode. There is less unnecessary set-up and more actual story, and a strong focus on Jennifer’s career as a lawyer. Is it perfect? Of course … Continue reading TV REVIEW: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law 1.02
Writer/director Ruth Platt’s third feature Martyr’s Lane is a superb piece of work, with a great handle on both tone and atmosphere. While it does have its faults and imperfections, it is a satisfying addition to the ranks of cinematic ghost stories … Continue reading REVIEW: Martyr’s Lane (2021)
Can we still get away with describing a film as ‘jolly’? Without a Clue, which is a comedic riff on the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle, certainly feels rather quaint and dated today, but in all honesty it felt … Continue reading REVIEW: Without a Clue (1988)
“A Normal Amount of Rage” Another month, another dive back into the increasingly over-loaded Marvel Cinematic Universe. This time around, Disney+ has premiered She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law, an introduction to the Hulk spin-off best known in the comics for John Byrne’s celebrated … Continue reading TV REVIEW: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law 1.01
John McTiernan’s Predator (1987) is rightfully hailed as an action classic, in large part because it successfully uses one genre to disrupt and collapse another. It begins as a story about American commandos heading into the Central American jungle to tackle Soviet-backed … Continue reading REVIEW: Prey (2022)
While rarely hitting the commercial heights of pre-1970s Hollywood, the western has nonetheless continued to chart a long-running course of well-liked, entertaining films and television dramas well into the 21st century. The mythologised ‘Old West’ remains an evocative setting for … Continue reading REVIEW: Bone Tomahawk (2015)
During the day Ai (Tomona Hirota) works as a mascot on the streets of Osaka. At night, she supplements her income performing sex acts online. After a one-night stand she discovers her entire encounter has been recorded and uploaded to … Continue reading REVIEW: Videophobia (2019)
It is always a pleasure to see new work from director Park Chan-wook, whose off-kilter and superbly imaginative thrillers played a huge part in bringing contemporary Korean cinema to a world stage. While it was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019) that became a … Continue reading MIFF REVIEW: Decision to Leave (2022)
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