Category: Independent Film

  • The Work (2017)

    The Work (2017)

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    The Work (2017) is a documentary about a therapy program at Folsom Prison called Inside Circle, which focuses on those who are incarcerated. For a four day workshop, non-prisoners are invited to volunteer their time and participate in the treatment. Following three free men who have agreed to be part of Inside Circle, the film… Read.

  • Pusher II (2004)

    Pusher II (2004)

    Pusher II: With Blood On My Hands (2004) is the movie I thought Pusher was going to be. Scenes set in red-lit brothels, tense heists, and a coiled intensity to its main actor. Nicolas Winding Refn’s sequel spins-off to stick a supporting character in the lead, the shit-talking thug, Tonny (played by Mads Mikkelsen). Released… Read.

  • Blood Simple (1984)

    Blood Simple (1984)

    I’m such a fan of the Coen Brothers that Blood Simple (1984) is low on my list of favourites since it is their first (directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, written and basically made together). From the show-off camera moves and bold imagery to the way in which action over dialogue is emphasised… Read.

  • Wanda (1970)

    Wanda (1970)

    I first found Wanda (1970) a bit difficult to get into. The opening is slow, observing workers and families in close proximity to a coal plant in rural Pennsylvania, which seems as depressing and barren as the industrial landscapes in Red Desert. Here, Wanda (Barbara Loden) wakes up on a friend’s couch and is late… Read.

  • Pusher (1996)

    Pusher (1996)

    I’ve had friends recommend the Pusher trilogy to me for a long time and even though I am a fan of Nicolas Winding Refn, I never got around to the Danish crime films that made his name internationally. With Pusher (1996), I was surprised by how low-fi it was in contrast to what Refn is now known for as… Read.