What happened was… (1994)

The moment when someone makes a joke in conversation to another person, catching them off guard, not getting a laugh in return, then immediately says to explain, “I was joking.” It’s a cringeworthy moment, two people not having a connection or not being able to read each other. This moment happens continually during The Awkward […]

Smoke (1995)

There’s a feeling of comfort I get from Smoke (1995). It’s an indie drama that has serious moments about loss, grief, bad luck, the chaotic nature of the universe, and so on. But it also radiates a sleepy feeling of the third hour of hanging out with friends or the activity that animates around you […]

The Rapture (1991)

Being a teenage fan of The X Files, I was aware of The Rapture (1991) as a movie David Duchovny was in before becoming Fox Mulder. Yet the central performance is by Mimi Rogers and she is great in delivering a character who shifts gradually throughout this movie’s ongoing thematic conversation with God and religion. […]

Inferno (1999)

In my quest to cover Jean-Claude Van Damme’s late 1990s period, and sift through the direct-to-video releases for any hidden gems, we ride into Inferno (1999), which works as Van Damme’s version of a modern western. He gets to rock a pair of jeans, wear a singlet, sport a straw hat, and wander through a […]

Days Of Being Wild (1990)

SBS On Demand added two early movies directed by Wong Kar-wai, As Tears Go By and Days Of Being Wild. I’d not seen either and went for Days Of Being Wild (1990) first, the main thing I knew about it being that it bombed on release in Hong Kong despite having high profile stars. As […]