Kaithi (2019)

Hearing that the Indian Tamil-language flick Kaithi (2019) was a cross between Assault On Precinct 13 and The Wages Of Fear was enough to hook me into searching it out. What I found was something that is reminiscent of both those films, but was also pitched between a Johnnie To/Milky Way film (strong premise, tense […]

Peking Opera Blues (1986)

Peking Opera Blues (1986) is a rollicking action-adventure comedy-drama, critically regarded as one of the best Hong Kong movies from the 1980s. In the first ten to fifteen minutes, the film might feel overwhelming with all of the characters who are introduced and establishing the 1910s socio-political atmosphere in China. As Peking Opera Blues proceeds, […]

Habit (1995)

First time I heard about Larry Fessenden’s Habit (1995) was through a glowing Roger Ebert review I remember reading. As a low budget indie with zero stars, it never received an Australian cinema release, or even a video release, or possibly I just missed out since I was in high school. There’s an indie movie […]

Vulcanizadora (2024)

I’m a fan of indie director Joel Potrykus, particularly the two films I’ve seen where he collaborates with actor Joshua Burge, Buzzard and Relaxer. They’re both slacker comedies smashed into dark and surreal places, increasing anxiety and discomfort while also being funny. One inspiration for Vulcanizadora (2024) was Potrykus seeing Gerry and wanting to make his own version, delving into aspects that […]

Broken Mirrors (1984)

Broken Mirrors (1984) is a bleak and powerful drama with two narrative strands, the inner workings of a brothel called Club Happy House, and a man whose face we don’t see kidnapping and murdering women off the street. Part of the viewing experience is the tension around when these two strands might intersect, but more than […]