Bad Boy Bubby by Rolf de Heer has everything – cat murder, spoken-word punk rock, chocolate eclairs and pervasive bagpipe bands. I have seen my fair share of strange, offbeat films in my time, but not even I could consider myself prepared for Bad Boy Bubby, which I can only attest to being one of…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (1971)
History was a lot more violent and vicious than our high school classes would have led us to believe. The brutal and twisted nature of the past has rarely been better explored than in Nelson Pereira Dos Santos’ sordid and perverted dark comedy, How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (Portuguese: Como Era Gostoso o Meu…
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
There is nothing that imbues me with as much unbridled joy as seeing “A Spike Lee Joint” flash across my screen when I am watching a film. Spike Lee is amongst the finest filmmakers working today, and he has consistently been one of the most revered voices in contemporary cinema, directing quite possibly the greatest…
Ideal Home (2018)
Here is an indication that we are living in a renaissance of queer cinema: filmmakers are able to make films with a pair of same-sex leads and not have the focus be on their sexuality, but rather on other parts of the story that do not relate to the sexual identity of these characters. Andrew…
Nothing Like a Dame (2018)
What happens when you get four of the finest actresses of their generation together, talking about their lives and careers? The answer is Roger Michell’s latest film, a documentary entitled Nothing Like a Dame (also alternatively known as Tea with the Dames) that is nothing short of an exhilarating, hilarious and irreverent look into the…
First Reformed (2018)
Nobody writes tortured protagonists quite like Paul Schrader. He has worked in constructing some of the most complex characters ever depicted on screen, such as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, Julian Kaye in American Gigolo and Jesus Christ in The Last Temptation of Christ. Schrader is a magnificent writer…
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
Cinematically, when lightning strikes, why shouldn’t a filmmaker try and replicate that success, even if there is very little chance that it will be as successful? In 1962, Robert Aldrich directed Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, one of the greatest horror films ever made, and a film that persists to this day as a towering…
Moonstruck (1987)
What is the factor that takes something from being an excellent film to a masterwork that endures through generations? Normally, I’d argue innovation and subversion are the main ways that most of the greatest films of all time have upheld their reputation. Yet, this isn’t always the case, as many films (including the subject of…
The Night Eats the World (2018)
I’ve got a theory that I stand by relentlessly: the stories that mainstream American films refuse to make are the treasures of the European arthouse. The past decade has seen some truly memorable and unique horror films coming out of Europe, and France, in particular, continues to push boundaries of horror cinema. Moreover, one of…
The Band’s Visit (2007)
Cinema, like all art, has many intentions and has the power to convey any story or theme imaginable. One such theme prevalent in many films is that of current political affairs, with contemporary issues often pervading the cinematic landscape. While many of these films are very effective, writing about them can be a challenge, because…
The Postmodern Pelican 