Matador (1986)

Pedro Almodovar’s film, Matador, has a provocative opening salvo, with the character of Diego Montes (Nacho Martinez) sitting alone at home, masturbating in a chair to clips of murder and death scenes from slashers and giallo thrillers (I was delighted to recognise the Jess Franco film, Bloody Moon, in the mix). Shifting from this conflation of auto-erotic […]

The Intruder (2004)

As a filmmaker, Claire Denis offers elliptical narrative experiences, introducing us to a few characters, observing their faces and their movements, and only gradually revealing the connections and histories between them. The Intruder (2004) is even more elliptical than her other films, complicating our understanding with the inclusion of dreams and recurring figures who may be more […]

The Punisher (1989)

The Producers wish to thank THE NEW SOUTH WALES FILM & TELEVISION OFFICEandTHE KENDO CLUB OF WILLOUGHBY For their assistance and co-operation I love Tubi as a streaming service because it is a great repository for remastered versions of cult classics and older films, no doubt ported over from recent physical media releases from Arrow Video, Shout Factory, Vinegar […]

The Plot Against Harry (1971)

I love a movie where an operator makes the rounds. Our protagonist moves around their world, connecting with other characters and settings, each a mini-world of their own. Each stop along their circuit is another insight, another layer into our main character. The Plot Against Harry (1971) is about a Jewish low-level criminal named Harry […]

A Hero Never Dies (1998)

Wine being poured into a glass while blood drops onto a table; the bartender doing the pouring, having been smashed in the face by demanding triad bosses ordering him around. One lingering image from the very stylish A Hero Never Dies (1998), which uses a bottle of wine as a symbolic bond between two criminal […]