I find it hard to review Dawson City: Frozen Time without writing about the background context behind Bill Morrison’s visually euphoric documentary. In 1978, construction workers unearthed a long lost silent film collection from a subarctic swimming pool in a Yukon mining village, not far from the titular Dawson City, […]
Aidan Fatkin
Mark Isaacs: Five Films, One Filmmaker (2001-2017)(Review)
Second Run dropped a bombshell of a box set dedicated to the films of Marc Isaacs, a British documentary filmmaker known for creating closed-off, intimate films with a cast of many memorable and sometimes eccentric personalities. It doesn’t matter if his contributors are small-time BNP supporters, nobody street sweepers, or […]
I Vitelloni (1953) Early Fellini with glimmers of his magic touch (Review)
Federico Fellini’s second solo feature, I Vitelloni, is set in an Italian seaside town and delves into the lifestyles of five young men all at separate crossroads. However, and I will say this right off the bat, I Vitelloni isn’t a character study – the film studies Italian society through […]
Tideland (2005) Gilliam’s misunderstood masterpiece (Review)
Look up the word ‘Gilliamesque’ in the dictionary, and you’re likely to find the following descriptions of Terry Gilliam’s wild films. A strong sense of dark humour and visual comedy? Check. Dystopian futures? Double-check. Striking fantasy sequences? Triple check. All of these traits are present in Brazil, 12 Monkeys, and […]
King of Hearts (1966) Endearingly Silly Anti-War film made in the mould of Ealing (Review)
Philippe De Broca’s 1966 cult comedy, King of Hearts, is a colourful, charming, and silly little film that fits in line with war-time farces like Richard Attenborough’s Oh, What a Lovely War! In the underlying message of King of Hearts, De Broca is warning us that a closely-knit society is […]
Modern Romance (1981) Yet more proof that the Rom-Coms best days are behind them (Review)
On paper, Albert Brooks’s Modern Romance sounds like a trivial, run-of-the-mill romantic comedy following a film editor trying to fix his relationship with his former girlfriend. In execution though, Brooks understands that clichéd plotting won’t get him anywhere in his second directorial effort. Brooks’s Modern Romance is a dryly funny […]
Midnight Cowboy (1969) the most risqué film to possibly ever win Best Picture (Review)
Hey! I’m walking here! I’m walking here!” And thus one of the most iconic moments of improvisational acting was born. 1969’s ‘Midnight Cowboy’ is home to this scene where Dustin Hoffman nearly gets run over by a cab who cuts a red light. However, outside of Hoffman’s memorable piece of […]
Intimate Lighting (1965) Czech New Wave as a light, comedic, endless rewatchable delight (Review)
After their great re-release of Juraj Herz’s ‘The Cremator’ on Blu-Ray late last year, Second Run have kindly followed that up by restoring another fan favourite Czech title – Ivan Passer’s ‘Intimate Lighting’. Like his close friend and collaborator, the late Miloš Forman, Passer is uninterested in creating a melodramatic […]
Shiraz: A Romance of India (1928) Indian Silent Film whose strengths lie in its romantic story (Review)
When I discuss the golden era of silent film with friends, many adjectives come to mind that describes the movies made in this period. What words can I use, I think to myself? Is it ‘timeless’? ‘Beautiful’? ‘Masterful’? All these adjectives imply that every silent film is perfect and pure […]
Orchestra Rehearsal (1978) Fellini’s succinct satire of a world without music (Review)
‘Orchestra Rehearsal’ saw Federico Fellini strip back his surreal tendencies and channelled his energy into something more tangible and less wild. Released in 1978, ‘Orchestra Rehearsal’ is set in one, large, barren hall. A wry voice-over explains that this place was once the burial site of three Popes and seven […]