Solaris (1972)

Some nights in movie-watching, I strive for a double feature or heck, even a triple feature. Other nights, you’ve gotta give that entire evening to a three hour epic arthouse classic and so it was that I finally sat down with Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris (1972). I liked the Soderbergh version (love the Cliff Martinez soundtrack) […]

The King Of Marvin Gardens (1972)

The post Easy Rider era of 1970s American cinema was a mythologised time when major studios produced depressing dramas about losers (though mainly white male losers). Fitting right into that sub-genre is The King Of Marvin Gardens (1972), which was director Bob Rafelson reuniting with Jack Nicholson after the success of Five Easy Pieces; I’d […]

Ace In The Hole (1951)

While it might seem quaint in comparison to today’s media landscape, Billy Wilder’s Ace In The Hole (1951; aka The Big Carnival) still bristles with cynicism. Kirk Douglas sinks his teeth (and chin cleft) into the role of Chuck Tatum, an alcoholic journalist stuck working in a small town newspaper in Albuquerque. When sent on […]

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 […]

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Ever since the writer character Vincent D’Onofrio played in The Player went to a screening of Bicycle Thieves (1948; Ladri di biciclette aka The Bicycle Thief), championing it as true cinema, I always felt guilty for never having seen it. After copping a DVD copy, and letting it sit on a shelf for a long […]