The home invasion sub-genre is characterised by claustrophobia, intensity and genuine scares. Unsurprisingly, it often works as a chamber piece, with a small cast, limited locations and threatening mise-en-scene. One of the key themes is the tension between inner and outer, a theme made all the more apparent in Little […]
Vincent Gaine
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) A Beguiling & Intriguing work that put Australian Movies on the Map (Review)
Peter Weir is a director with an eclectic career. From Witness to Dead Poets Society to The Truman Show to Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Weir’s subject matter and indeed style have rarely fit into easily identifiable boxes. His first international success, 1975’s Picnic at Hanging […]
Illusion (Review) (Kinoteka Festival 2023)
The spectre of a missing person creates a different type of distress than death, because not knowing is a unique form of anguish. While there may be grief over the strong possibility that the missing person is dead, this grief is hard to process when the lack of certainty adds […]
The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975) Giallo Essentials: White Edition (Review)
The term ‘Giallo’ tends to evoke images of black gloves, much darkness, and a de-emphasis on the plot in favour of lurid colours. A viewer could be forgiven, therefore, for their surprise when coming across a film labeled Giallo that features jaunty music, comedy pratfalls and gymnastics, and an engagement […]
The Killer (2022) Less John Woo, More John Wick (Review)
One of the disadvantages of mainly consuming western cinema is that when one encounters films from further afield, there is a temptation to find western equivalents. Then again, it is also fair to say that much of the cinematic output of China, Japan and Korea has been influenced by Hollywood, […]
Leave (2022) surprising blend of Nordic noir, supernatural chiller and social commentary (Review)
Norway is a remarkable country, beautiful and foreboding all at once. The mountains and fjords speak of a wild landscape, while the universal health care and welcoming cities indicate a peak of civilisation. It is a country with a strong religious history, with over 60% identifying as Christian and only […]
Mother Superior (Glasgow Frightfest 2023)(Review)
A young nurse comes to a spooky house in the middle of nowhere to care for an old woman, with a crusty groundskeeper – the only other company for either of them. Within this house, strange things happen, and the nurse starts to wonder how much she is actually seeing, […]
The Owl Service (1969) Unsettling atmosphere, and echoes of folklore in this iconic 60s TV Show (TV Review)
The Owl Service is a notable curio in the history of British genre television. Originally broadcast on Sunday afternoons in 1969, the eight episodes of this adaptation of Alan Garner’s 1967 novel is ostensibly a children’s show in the vein of Swallows and Amazons, a 1967 adaptation of The Lion, […]
Jane (2023) When Teen Drama morphs into Psychological Teen Horror (Review)
Teenage suicide and cyber-bullying. Handle these tough subjects in a way that is crass or exploitative, and your film will leave a bad taste in the mouth. Handle it with delicacy and nuance and you might produce something impressive. Sabrina Jaglom’s Jane falls into the latter category, approaching these topics […]
Yes Madam! (1985) Enjoyably inconsistent Hong Kong Action with Michelle Yeoh & Cynthia Rothrock (Review)
Michelle Yeoh is a badass. This is evident to anyone who has seen Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, her Oscar-nominated turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and even the misfortune that is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. What western audiences are perhaps less aware of […]