It’s impossible to talk about Hong Kong cinema without mentioning Chang Cheh. From his prolific output to his genre-defining works, Chang’s films may have lacked the nuance of some of his peers—but when those peers are the legendary King Hu and the artistically refined Lau Kar Leung, it’s little wonder. […]
Movies & Documentaries
Godzilla Minus One (2023) Community, Camaraderie, and Godzilla at his most Terrifying
In 1954, a giant creature entered the frame of a Japanese monster movie. A name (with two forms) echoed around the world like a deafening ‘Skreeonk,’ and this name has continued to echo for 70 years. Gojira/Godzilla is one of the most iconic and recognisable figures in popular culture, perpetuated […]
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008) – A sweeping epic so slickly directed
In regards to Korean filmmakers, Western audiences often sing the praises of Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho (especially after the latter’s Oscar wins), yet Kim Jee-woon can feel left out of the conversation. With a filmography that includes I Saw The Devil, A Tale of Two Sisters, and A Bittersweet […]
Sujo (2024) Mexico’s Oscar Submission is a Generic Affair
Mexican creative duo Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez write and direct this low-key Mexican crime drama, one that’s disinterested in the macho conventions of the gangster film and instead focuses on the long-lasting consequences organized crime has on women, children, and the boys who grow up in this environment. Sujo […]
Lost Highway (1997) A Mind-Bending Rollercoaster Ride with some Hefty Caveats
In many ways Lost Highway is quintessential David Lynch. There are strobe lights, doppelgangers, and twisted symbols of Americana. Yet, unlike his dreamier films, Lost Highway has a heavy metal intensity. The music is aggressive, miles away from Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic Twin Peaks score, and Lynch’s approach to sex and […]
Fugitive Images (2013-2019) Selected Works by Andrea Luka Zimmerman – The Evergreen Importance of Community and Erasure
Second Run have been spoiling me over the last few weeks. Hot off the heels of their incredible release of Days and Afternoon: Two Films by Tsing Ming-Liang, they’ve released Fugitive Images – Selected works by Andrea Luka Zimmerman. They’ve upgraded their previous DVD release, which Mark Cunliffe eloquently covered […]
The Fisher King (1991): Robin Williams’s best role in Terry Gilliam’s most accessible film
Even now, at a point when the image of the buccaneering, risk-taking, out-on-a-limb male genius auteur is at a fairly low ebb, it feels taboo to say you like one of those artists’ more commercial works. Terry Gilliam, a man more buccaneering, risk-taking etc. etc. than most, made The Fisher […]
The Great Escape (1963) Christmas Classics and the Issue of Historical Accuracy
The Great Escape (4K) is out now on Arrow Video Blu-Ray Alex’s Archive – The Great Escape (1963)
Funny Girl (1968): A Star So Big the World Had to Sit Up and Take Notice
The Criterion Collection know what they’re doing releasing Funny Girl to Blu-ray in December. As the chill winds buffet outside and the rain lashes against the window, what better time is there to snuggle up with a film so warming and lengthy that it has an intermission? Better still, it’s […]
Critters: A Four Course Feast! (1986-1992) – Ample pickings of cinema’s forgotten freaks
A physical media habit can be a bit like gorging yourself on junk food. Whenever a label like Arrow Video offers up a curated bunch of greasy, low-brow, nostalgic pleasures, it’s tough not to water at the mouth like a gibbering animal with the mere thought of adding a franchise […]