The Intruder (2004)

As a filmmaker, Claire Denis offers elliptical narrative experiences, introducing us to a few characters, observing their faces and their movements, and only gradually revealing the connections and histories between them. The Intruder (2004) is even more elliptical than her other films, complicating our understanding with the inclusion of dreams and recurring figures who may be more […]

The Heartbreak Kid (1972)

As a 90s kid in Australia, I had a bit of confusion around The Heartbreak Kid, since that was also the title of a hit Australian teen drama, starring Alex Dimitridaias and Claudia Karvan, which eventually led to the TV show Heartbreak High. Completely unrelated, The Heartbreak Kid (1972) was based on a short story […]

Serpent’s Path (1998)

The point of view shot of a car driving down inner city roads; there’s an emptiness to the streets. In the car, two men are on a mission of revenge, Nijima (Sho Aikawa) and Miyashita (Teruyuki Kagawa). Miyadhita’s child has been molested and murdered. They know the culprit. They have a soundproofed warehouse. Revenge will […]

Le Navrie Night (1979)

When it comes to art cinema, and slow cinema, I often think of an ideal viewer that must exist who is 100% alert and awake, and intellectually keyed into the symbolism and poetics that might take place. But then again, why should I judge myself against an ideal viewer that doesn’t exist? If you fall […]

School In The Crosshairs (1981)

I remember seeing Hausu a long time ago (presented by Kenta McGrath at the UWA Film Society) and my memory of it has always been an all-encompassing, wild, super-visual horror dream. Keen to see further films from Hausu’s director Nobuhiko Obayashi, particularly since a few of them are available in HD on the Rarefilmm website. […]