One Sings, The Other Doesn’t (1977)

When Agnès Varda passed away, shamefully I’d not seen any of her films. Seeking to correct such an oversight, I sought out One Sings, The Other Doesn’t (1977; L’une chante, l’autre pas), a narrative that follows the friendship between two women, which comes to symbolise feminist movements of the 60s and 70s. As teenagers, Pauline […]

Persona (1966)

It’s always a revelation when you finally see an art-house classic and understand all the references and influences that have flowed on ever since. So it was with finally watching Persona (1966), part of my catching up on the filmography of director Ingmar Bergman. My initial understanding was that the film was about two women […]

A Bucket Of Blood (1959)

I always loved seeing Dick Miller (who sadly passed away this year) appear in cameos and small parts in movies, particularly those made by former protégés of Roger Corman (Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Joe Dante obviously, etc). I never realised that Miller was the lead of anything, namely the cult beatnik culture satire horror flick […]

Passion (2012)

Brian De Palma’s Passion (2012), a remake of the French thriller Love Crime, received mixed reviews upon release. Having finally seen it, and enjoying it quite a lot, I think it’ll be like his previous film, Femme Fatale – in that in ten years’ time, critics and fans will re-evaluate and appreciate it. And I […]

Female Trouble (1974)

John Waters’ next film after Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble (1974), still has the capacity to shock with its gleeful celebration of bad taste, or at least redefining what counts for taste at that time. Divine is a magnetic force of nature as Dawn Davenport, who goes through an episodic narrative journey, from sneaking in hoagie […]