Author: James Curnow
Turkey Shoot remade: Ozploitation Ozploited
Cinematic history is rife with examples of films that have (generally accidentally) achieved just the right combination of train-wreck and entertainment to become cult classics. One such example is Turkey Shoot (1982)… at least that’s what it was called if you saw the film in Australia. Viewers in the US would have been treated to…
Jimi: All is by My Side
On paper it sounds like a great idea – a Jimi Hendrix biopic starring Andre Benjamin, one of the members of hip-hop group, OutKast. And having avoided any of the talk around the film, it was one I’d been looking forward to for some time. Unfortunately, Benjamin’s generally convincing performance isn’t enough to save Jimi: All…
An Honest Liar: Understanding James ‘The Amazing’ Randi
Things are not always as they appear in An Honest Liar, a film in which misdirection and a carefully constructed series of narrative revelations result in the film’s structure emulating its subject matter. This wonderful documentary, directed by Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein, provides an insightful look into the fascinating life of famed magician and…
Life Itself: A Roger Ebert Primer
Steve James’ Life Itself, a documentary about the life of internationally recognised Pulitzer Prize winning film-critic, Roger Ebert, was always going be subject to high expectations – especially given his unfettered access to Ebert in the months leading up to his passing. The good news is that, generally speaking, James manages to live up to…
Mehran Tamadon’s Iranian: An Atheist and Four Mullahs
What would happen if an Iranian atheist invited four mullahs to come and stay with him for a weekend and discuss the prospect of a secular coexistence? This is the unlikely situation presented in Iranian, the latest documentary from Paris-based Iranian filmmaker, Mehran Tamadon. Fascinating, frustrating, confronting, and occasionally amusing, Tamadon’s film is a powerful…