The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was by no means the first Hollywood entertainment made out of serial killers, but its critical and commercial success did stimulate an unprecedented wave of similar and derivative works that barreled along for close to … Continue reading REVIEW: Copycat (1995)
There is a generally held convention that Hammer, the famous British production house behind a string of gothic horror movies, peaked in the 1950s and 1960s before declining in the 1970s. While this is certainly true of the company’s commercial … Continue reading REVIEW: Hands of the Ripper (1971)
It is a constant struggle for African cinema to receive the attention and exposure that it deserves, which is why it is such a pleasure to see this year’s Sydney Film Festival include Jean Luc Herbelot’s 2021 multi-genre feature Saloum. Herbelot … Continue reading SFF REVIEW: Saloum (2021)
In 1917 the Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari was shot by firing squad after being successfully prosecuted for espionage during the First World War. It is almost certain that she was not guilty of the crimes for which she was … Continue reading REVIEW: Mata Hari (1931)
A corporate boss lies dead in his own home, bludgeoned to death with a bronze urn. Court-appointed prosecutor Akira Kido (Ken Utsui) thinks he has the killer, the method, and the motive all worked out – all he has to … Continue reading REVIEW: The Black Report (1963)
Quiet loner Patrick Hill (Jason Statham) takes up a job as a security guard riding armoured trucks. The first time his truck is attacked by armed robbers, Hill unexpectedly shoots and kills all assailants, without suffering so much as a … Continue reading REVIEW: Wrath of Man (2021)
On 6 December 1989 a 25 year-old man, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, entered Montreal’s École Polytechnique and murdered 14 women and injured an additional 10 women and four men. After 20 harrowing minutes, the shooter turned his rifle on … Continue reading REVIEW: Polytechnique (2009)
During a crippling Tokyo heatwave, a homicide detective (Toshiro Mifune) has his gun stolen out of his holster while taking the tram. When the stolen gun is used to murder someone, the desperate rookie teams up with a veteran detective … Continue reading REVIEW: Stray Dog (1949)
Guillermo Del Toro uplifts a 1940s potboiler with outstanding visuals and a top-notch cast, but a sullen, overly worthy pace is ever-present to potentially derail it. Nightmare Alley is really good, but it is frustratingly close to great. Mysterious wanderer Stanton … Continue reading REVIEW: Nightmare Alley (2021)
Mimi Cave’s debut feature Fresh sits in a tricky sort of niche where part of its appeal is the unexpected direction its story takes, but where discussion of that direction will inevitably give away some of its secrets. Even by mentioning this … Continue reading REVIEW: Fresh (2022)
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