Flesh + Blood (1985)

Flesh + Blood (1985) as a title has always felt like the best summary of Paul Verhoeven as a director. This is what marks his greatness, a keen study of “flesh and blood,” all the ways it can be shown and conceptualised. How moments can stick in your mind through the filmmaker’s capacity to make […]

Soldier Of Orange (1977)

Tuxedos and tails are a recurring item of clothing. Initially worn by the group of male uni students at parties, signifying their upper class status. Later as World War II leads to Holland being invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany, the tuxedo is used by resistance members reentering their own country, passing themselves as members […]

Born In Flames (1983)

File this under “Why didn’t I watch this earlier?” and “This is as great as they say…” Maybe I thought that a film about activism would be a bit like homework. Directed by Lizzie Borden, Born In Flames (1983) captures a moment of time – 1980s New York, in the No Wave era – but […]

Kids Return (1996)

Kids Return (1996) is a title I remember because it would always be programmed on SBS. I was aware of Takeshi Kitano as a teenager, mainly when Fireworks was released and received praise from critics like Margaret and David on The Movie Show. There’s a power and beauty to Fireworks with the subplot of the […]

Mike’s Murder (1984)

We don’t see the murder. Director and writer James Bridges apparently filmed one, and it was part of the negative test screenings that forced him to re-edit and structurally rearrange Mike’s Murder (1984) before its release. The original intention with Mike’s Murder was a film that was subjective with dream sequences and flashbacks; what was […]