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 Violent Years (1956)

Sometimes you need to skip the Mystery Science Theater 3000 commentary and just enjoy an Edward D. Wood Jr scripted exploration of white female teenage juvenile delinquency on its own beautiful merits. This is The Violent Years (1956), which is a remarkable insight into what happens to teenage girls who are not given the right […]

Faces (1968)

Carousing is one word I’d used to describe the events in Faces (1968), a key John Cassavetes film I’d always be meaning to see (ever since Scorsese referenced it in his Personal Journey Through American Cinema docu-series). Self-financed from acting jobs for other movies, and shot around his own house, Cassavetes explores marriages, love and […]

Sound Of Metal (2019)

Every time I watched the trailer for Sound Of Metal (2019), I would just well up and want to cry. There’s something about Riz Ahmed as a performer and the vulnerability he expresses in this role. He plays a noise metal drummer Rueben Stone in a touring band with his partner, vocalist/guitarist Lou (Olivia Cook). […]

The Immortal Story (1968)

The morning after I saw Mank at the cinemas, I was like Fincher Smincher, I want to watch me some Orson Welles! The Immortal Story (1968) was available to stream on Mubi and was the last film that Welles completed in his life time as a director, something he shot for French TV, hence the […]