Klaus” is an animated movie that starts with a standard plot device of a spoiled rich boy who is sent to an out of the way location by his father. He is informed he is going to be the postman of a small town on a small island called Smeerensberg. His father says he must…
Recently I finished watching a fantasy tv series called “Carnival Row”. It was heavily influenced by themes of racism, the plight of refugees, slavery and even genocide. I was surprised to learn it had been criticised for this, with some people insisting that such ‘politics’ had no place in a fantasy story. However this is…
“Ugetsu Monogatari” was directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, known for such films as the original “47 Ronin” and “Sansho the Bailiff”. It is based on a combination of two stories from “Tales of Moon and Rain” by Ueda Akinari. The story is set during the civil wars of the sixteenth century, and follows two peasant couples.…
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the…
Yes, I know, it’s another ghost story review from me. What can I say - I love them. Directed by James Wan and starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, this story is loosely based on ‘true’ events (reported events, anyway) about an incident in England in 1977, known as the Enfield haunting. I make no…
“Triangle” is a supernatural thriller, and follows Jess (Melissa George), a single mother of a disabled son, who accepts an invitation to go sailing with a friend and his other friends. After running into trouble at sea, they come across a huge steam ship and board it, only to find it (apparently) deserted. Characters are…
“Son of Frankenstein” was third in the Universal Studios Frankenstein series, following “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein.” This film was directed by Rowland Lee, and starred Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Basil Rathbone. It has much more to recommend it than you might imagine. The plot follows Wolf Von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) as he comes…
Many years ago I watched “Mulholland Drive” on video. (Yes, it was that long ago.) And I hated it. As far as I was concerned, it made absolutely no sense, and was a waste of time to watch. Over the years since, I kept on hearing about how good this film was from various sources,…
“Knives Out” is a comedy/whodunnit directed by Rian Johnson. It boasts an impressive cast, led by Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, and also included Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette and Christopher Plummer. It is an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, based around the death of a family patriarch under suspicious…
Joaquin Phoenix stars in “Joker”, an origin story film about the Batman villain’s beginnings in the city of Gotham. Directed by Todd Phillips, the film focuses on Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill man who works as a clown, but dreams of being a stand-up comedian. A film combining excellent direction, a magnificent performance from the…
Eclectic Assemblage 