Sophisticated and stylish, Mike Hodges’ (Get Carter) Croupier is a contemporary film noir masterpiece; its star, Clive Owen, an embodiment of Humphrey Bogart’s detached cool not seen since Annette Benning’s performance in the Grifters. If you see only one indy film this year – make it Croupier. Clive Owen is Jack Manfred – an aspiringContinue reading “Croupier”
Tag Archives: Film
No more porn for me…
That’s right. No sooner did I declare my perturbed state regarding pornography seekers looking for porn on my site – than they have cleaned up their act! Crikey! And I mean crikey! A random sampling of the last few days search engine requests: staten island fotos everything is illuminated staten island the commitments irish soulContinue reading “No more porn for me…”
Viridiana
Luis Buñuel grabbed worldwide attention in 1929 with his very first film, Un Chien Andalou, made with his close friend, Salvador Dali. The 17-minute short opened with a shot of an eyeball being sliced, grisly special effects for the time. With Dali and their friend, Federico García Lorca, he pioneered the use of surrealism inContinue reading “Viridiana”
Malena
The day Mussolini declared war on France and Britain, 13-year-old Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro) got his first bicycle and fell in love with Malena Scordia (Monica Bellucci), a 27-year-old war bride whose husband joined the fight in Africa. There is not a man in the sleepy Sicilian village who does not drool over the exquisiteContinue reading “Malena”
Best in Show
Once a year, the American doggie elite congregates in Philadelphia for the Mayflower Dog Show – travelling by air, caravan, BMW and station wagon – projecting their dreams and hopes onto the family pet. Christopher Guest’s mockumentary, Best in Show digs down deep into the psyches of the owners and the nitty-gritty politics of showContinue reading “Best in Show”
The Night of the Following Day
A Review of one of Marlon Brando’s lesser-known films.
Irish Films – from both sides of the Atlantic
In honour of St Paddy’s Day, here’s a look at some of my favourite Irish flicks. The top grossing Irish film of all-time is the sleeper hit The Crying Game (1992), starring Forest Whittaker and Miranda Richardson, about a British soldier captured by the IRA who finds himself drawn into their world. The film wasContinue reading “Irish Films – from both sides of the Atlantic”
Sukiyaki Western Django!
Filmmakers learn their art from those who came before them. In this case, there was Akira Kurosawa and Yojimbo in 1961; hundreds, if not thousands of Hong Kong chop-socky flicks; and the Japanese film industry’s obsession with the yakuza gangster flick in the 60’s and 70’s. Quentin Tarantino and Takashi Miike spent their youth andContinue reading “Sukiyaki Western Django!”
Titirangi Storyteller 