Down under, there has been a growing voice towards the basic request to change the date of Australia/Invasion/Survival Day (which happens every January 26th) so as to not associate it with the arrival of the first fleet of white supremacists to the east coast - the same white supremacists who were intent on pushing out … Continue reading Survival Day: Reflections on Aboriginal Australia in Film
Burden of Dreams (1982 Les Blank) 'If I abandon this project, I would be a man without dreams and I don't want to live like that' - Werner Herzog I did speak at length about Herzog and his films last week but regardless, a list of documentaries concerning the making of films could not conscientiously … Continue reading Dreams and Madness: 6 Great Documentaries about Making Film
In 1980, Munich-born filmmaker Werner Herzog ate parts of his own shoe. Why then, you may ask, may one proclaim this man as a visionary genius? Surely he is crazy in the coconut!! Well, see the shoe thing was actually part of a promise he made to the documentarian Errol Morris a few years earlier … Continue reading Werner Herzog: The Mind of a Visionary Genius
It was in the wee hours of St Stephen’s Day (the day after Christmas) about 12 years ago that I first watched Claude Berri’s 1986 film Jean de Florette. I remember it was really flipping cold outside and some snow, I think, may have fallen that day. So suffice to say that watching a sun-drenched … Continue reading The European Masterpieces Part 1: Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources
So 2016 was not such a good year for the vastly superior form of human being we call ‘the celebrity’ – a lot of them died. And to be honest, from what I have seen, there has been better years for the world of film too. Not that I have seen a huge body of … Continue reading The Time Has Come: A Review of Some Films From 2016
Casablanca (1942 Michael Curtiz) is one of the great romances of cinema. Set upon the backdrop of war-torn Europe and a massive exodus of European refugees into North Africa, it is significant to note that many of the leading roles were played by actors who themselves were refugees from fascist Europe. At a pivotal point … Continue reading The War-torn World of Casablanca
If you haven't heard it already, I would heartily recommend the You Must Remember This podcast series on The Blacklist and in particular the episode on Kirk Douglas and Dalton Trumbo. Indeed, if that isn't enough, you could watch the film Trumbo from last year, which is in the same class and context as Good … Continue reading Kirk Douglas at 100: Spartacus (1959 Stanley Kubrick)
Although Douglas had been on the Hollywood scene for a few years in the late 40s, it wasn't until he did Ace in the Hole with Billy Wilder that he solidified his place as an A-Lister. Here, he personifies a character that is equally repulsive as he is watchable. The role of Chuck Tatum, a … Continue reading Kirk Douglas at 100: Ace in the Hole (1951 Billy Wilder)
Here is the first of a few reviews honouring Kirk Douglas's achievement in making the century - a nice homage was given to him by Peter Bradshaw on The Guardian. Of course it is a welcome change to hear of a screen legend from the 40s, 50s and 60s to be still hanging around and … Continue reading Kirk Douglas at 100: Paths of Glory (1957 Stanley Kubrick)
Without a shadow of a doubt, music and film can sometimes go gloriously hand in hand. A good song, a good soundtrack or a good score can significantly enhance the power that a film can have on the viewer. I personally have a favourite song (Dylan's 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' in Pat Garrett and Billy … Continue reading An Unexpected Musical Interlude
Momentary Cinema 