Silver Linings Playbook, the latest in Hollywood’s ongoing mission to exploit humanity’s differences for entertainment, sets out to prove that there ain’t nothing that can cure bipolar quicker than lithium, Seroquel and the love of a good woman. Continue reading »
In the documentary “The Celluloid Closet”, gay actor and writer Harvey Fierstein talks about growing up watching mainstream Hollywood films, and how he had to ‘translate’ them in order to make them more relevant to him as a gay viewer. After all, in a celluloid world that made gays and lesbians completely invisible unless they … Continue reading »
“Another Woman” is one of my favourite films by Woody Allen. In it, Marion Post (played by Gena Rowlands) has just reached her fiftieth birthday. She retreats to a mid-town apartment to work on a new book, which happens to be next door to a psychiatrist’s office. Thanks to a poorly-filtered vent in the wall, … Continue reading »
It’s incredibly ironic that one of FedEx’s many Twitter accounts is called @FedExDelivers. In my case, they didn’t. I hope you’ll bear with me on the length of this post, as it’s something that’s caused me considerable stress and anxiety on top of the emotion of leaving my partner and family behind to emigrate. On … Continue reading »
It’s early morning in Paris. You’re walking home after a night on the town, and you see a handsome young man sprawled in the gutter. What do you do? If you’re Claude, the main character in Todd Verow’s sexy and intriguing new film “Bad Boy Street”, you pick up the stranger and take him home … Continue reading »
The street was mostly empty of cars, but several rubbish bins had been tipped over. The wind had blown their contents all over the street. That’s my mind, I thought. Strewn with litter, and abandoned. Continue reading »
The dark preacher, with hate tattooed across his left knuckles and love across his right, has become an iconic figure in pop culture, even if you don’t know the source. “Night Of The Hunter” had been on my to-watch list for some time, and thanks to Air New Zealand’s extensive in-flight movie menu, I had … Continue reading »
I’m sorry there aren’t enough penises in “Communication”, or for that matter, any of my films. I just happen to think that the mechanics of sex have been well-covered in other films – in fact, there’s an entire genre for that sort of thing should you wish to look it up (being from a Catholic background, I haven’t dabbled there, it’s sinful). Continue reading »
Apparently it’s been scientifically proven that men are funnier than women. But only just. Before you flick off your screen in disgust, let me state up front that I think it’s rubbish. Or rather, that the question doesn’t interest me. Comedy performance is one of the great joys of my life, from narrative film through … Continue reading »
Woody Allen’s latest film “Midnight in Paris” is, on the surface, a love letter to the city, drenched in warmth. Right from the opening, where he delays his usual black-on-white title sequence for a series of beautiful postcard shots of the city from early morning, through dusk, till evening. But it’s much more than that. … Continue reading »
