Cinema loves politics, particularly during the 1970s. There was something about this specific era that brought out the best in filmmakers with an interest in the subject. Perhaps it was the tumultuous real-life political landscape, with the height of the Cold War causing much strife, even in the domestic lives of ordinary citizens, and events…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Jerry and Marge Go Large (2022)
We all love a good underdog story, especially when it comes to those that centre on ordinary folk going up against some systemic issue and emerging victorious. This was exactly what Jerry Selbee and his wife Marge, a happily retired couple from a small town in Michigan, did when they discovered a flaw in the…
Spring in a Small Town (1948)
Nothing signals tenacity more than a filmmaker doing whatever possible to get their film made. This is applicable to Fei Mu, whose film Spring in a Small Town (Chinese: 小城之春) was a labour of love in every definition of the term. Not being given much resources on which to construct this film, and seemingly being…
The Plumber (1979)
It has been over a decade since Peter Weir made his most recent film, seemingly having receded into some form of retirement, despite being one of the most creative and compelling auteurs of the past half-century. Whether it was populist fare or more edgy, independent productions, Weir consistently produced work of exceptional quality, proving that…
In Front of Your Face (2022)
As one of the most notoriously prolific directors of his generation, Hong Sang-soo is someone that is consistently managing to defy expectations and find new stories to tell. A surface-level glance at the films he has made over the years might lead the untrained eye to assume that he peddles in the near-derogatory sub-genre of…
Moonrise (1948)
Despite reigning supreme as one of the most sought-after directors during the Golden Age of Hollywood as a result of his enormous versatility of a filmmaker, Frank Borzage has been continuously under-appreciated in recent years, with his films not receiving as much attention as those of his contemporaries that have held a more significant cultural…
State and Main (2000)
When it comes to contemporary American theatre, few names carry both the prestige and element of intimidation quite as much as that of David Mamet, who remains one of the most revered and feared modern playwrights, known for his scathing critiques of contemporary life, no-holds-barred vulgarity and truly deranged sense of humour that make him…
The Inside Story (1948)
Do not let its generic, unremarkable title fool you – The Inside Story is an absolute delight. The film, which was written by Mary Anita Loos and Richard Sale (the latter a notable writer of pulp fiction) and brought to life by Allan Dwan, one of the more underrated filmmakers of the Golden Age of…
My Best Fiend (1999)
Klaus Kinski is not the easiest actor to talk about. On one hand, he is one of the most brilliant actors to ever work in the medium of film, spending several decades turning in magnificent performances fueled by a combination of his incredible talents and unhinged madness that made him one of the most celebrated…
Rifkin’s Festival (2021)
Has Woody Allen lost the magical touch that placed him at the very apex of his craft all those years ago? The answer is unfortunately the affirmative, as his most recent efforts have proven that he epitomizes the concept of quantity over quality. While not all of his films produced in the past decade are…
The Postmodern Pelican 