Category: Reviews
Predestination: Temporal Loops and Narrative Hoops
Last night I was fortunate enough to attend the Australian red-carpet premiere of the Spierig brothers’ new science fiction film, Predestination, as part of the opening night celebrations at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Held at the Melbourne Arts Centre, the night commenced with a typically charismatic introduction by MIFF patron, Geoffrey Rush, and ended…
Lucy and Boyhood: The Evolution of Narrative Integration
Tom Gunning has forgotten about the evolution of early cinema than anyone I know. So let’s consult him. Gunning has argued that the earliest form of cinema was one of “attraction.” The audience watched new and interesting pictures in much the same way that carnival crowds would gape at the bearded lady. Had it remained…
Double Indemnity and The Politics of Gender
In 1943, the story of Double Indemnity had earned the label of “unfilmmable” in Hollywood due to its controversial and ‘immoral’ subject matter (Biltereyst 148). But despite objections and impositions from the Production Code Administration, through compromise and strategy, Billy Wilder managed to create and release the film in 1944. Somehow, what remains is still…
‘They Came Together’ and the Death of the Indie
There was a time when teenage boys wore jackets and ties to go to birthday parties. There was a time when what we now call a Happy Meal cost under a dollar. And there was a time when the term “Indie Film” meant something. Of course, all those things are ancient history by now. You’ll…
Rambo Revisited: From First to Final Blood
As the media erupts with slightly affectionate derision at the thought of another Rambo film, now seems like the perfect time to engage in a defense (sort of) of Sylvester Stallone’s flagship movie series, the Rambo tetralogy (soon to become a pentalogy). And why not defend the adventures of John Rambo? No, he may not…