Category: Reviews
John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary: The Mystery of Faith and Forgiveness
“I am going to kill you, Father, because you are innocent.” That line, delivered by an anonymous and unseen penitent in the opening scene of John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary, dominates all that follows. And yet, the actual plot of McDonagh’s second feature pays little mind to the threat and all it entails. And because of…
Revisiting Razorback: Pretty Images, Psychotic Yobbos and a Giant Pig
At some point long ago, film studios became acutely aware that taking an unremarkable animal or insect, then radically increasing its size, was a sure-fire recipe for commercial success. I suppose it makes sense to suggest that this trend began with the release of that most iconic of monster movies, King Kong, in 1933. Others…
Kasimir Burgess’ Fell: Great Distances and Close Scrutiny
“I don’t know shit about you.” Uttered almost 80 minutes into the 93 minute-long debut feature from Kasimir Burgess, this line perfectly captures the remoteness and intense insular focus of recent Australian film Fell (Felix Media, 2014). Fell follows the story of two men whose lives irreversibly intersect over the tragic hit-and-run death of a…
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…