The Beaches Of Agnes (2008)

Every time I watch an Agnes Varda film for the first time, I am always left with the feeling: why am I not watching more Agnes Varda? Or just all the time? As an autobiographical documentary, The Beaches Of Agnes (2008; Les plages d’Agnès) also works as a primer for the French filmmaker’s career, with […]

The Missing Person (2009)

Michael Shannon and John Ventimiglia on the side of a dusty road talking for five minutes about what breed of dog Serpico had in the film Serpico is my idea of cinema, baby! That’s one scene from the neo-noir comedy-drama, The Missing Person (2009), which stars Michael Shannon as an alcoholic private eye named John […]

Throw Down (2004)

Director Johnnie To said in an interview that he “didn’t want any antagonists” in the Hong Kong film, Throw Down (2004). This is intriguing to hear – no antagonists in a neo-noir martial arts movie set in the backstreets, gambling dens and smoky bars of Hong Kong? And that is specifically about the fighting form […]

Bones (2001)

Bones (2001) is a horror movie about Snoop Dogg playing a 1970s-era pimp who comes back from the dead to take ghoulish revenge on those who crossed him. In the mix are a group of young promoters and musicians planning to open up a nightclub – unfortunately it’s in the building that Snoop Dogg’s character, […]

Time And Tide (2000)

After recently enjoying Hong Kong director Tsui Hark’s collaborations with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Double Team and Knock Off, for their visual kinetic energy and their “what the fuck” madcap action, it was a welcome surprise to discover his return to Hong Kong action cinema, Time and Tide (2000), was available on Netflix in Australia. Now […]