No matter how much of an expert you become in a particular field, there will come a point where you are seen as “the old guy”, someone who was previously at the top of their game, but the march of time and the inevitability of the younger generation taking over means that we will all…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
The Monkey (2025)
It seems like everyone has their own unique encounter with the work of Osgood Perkins, whose directorial career has been the very definition of a slow-burn, gradual rise to acclaim. Most filmmakers working in the proverbial field of “elevated horror” (a vulgar term if there ever was one) tend to emerge as major voices right…
Slap Shot (1977)
Violence is never the answer – unless you’re a member of a minor league hockey team hailing from some small town in the heartlands of America, in which case it isn’t only allowed, but actively encouraged. They say hockey without violence is only half the experience – or at least this is what we’re led…
The Best Films of 2024
Another year, another opportunity to sample from the creative and innovative minds of the many fantastic filmmakers who have defined the cinematic landscape over the past several months, introducing us to some of the most exciting works of fiction and non-fiction. As with any year, there are various masterpieces and misfires, to the point where…
It’s Not Me (2024)
I have always maintained that Leos Carax is such an ingenious filmmaker, he could make even the most abstract and unconventional ideas seem engaging and captivating. This is exactly what he did in It’s Not Me (French: C’est pas moi), his ambitious and utterly bewildering attempt at self-reflection, and his most recent offering. The film,…
The Werewolf of Washington (1973)
Some satire tends to be quite subtle, while others veer towards presenting their intentions and themes so aggressively, we have to admire the gall. In the case of The Werewolf of Washington, we find that the latter is the preferred modus operandi of director Milton Moses Ginsberg (a little-known editor whose only other endeavour into…
Paddington in Peru (2025)
Over a decade ago, when it was announced that Paul King (a mostly unknown director who had previously only made one barely-seen independent comedy) would be adapting Michael Bond’s timeless stories of Paddington Bear, the reaction was intrigued but not entirely enthused. There had been countless efforts to bring cherished childhood stories to life on…
Fancy Dance (2024)
For many of us, family and culture are amongst the most vital aspects of our identity, since without them we would likely be adrift in a confusing world without any clear direction. However, life tends to be quite unpredictable, and challenges are bound to emerge at the most inopportune moments, when fate begins to encroach…
The People’s Joker (2024)
What is life other than the continuous process of trying to figure out your identity, and maintaining the image of being in control when in reality we are all as hopelessly clueless about existence as everyone else? It’s often been said that anyone who doesn’t have even a minor existential crisis at some point is…
Rainbow Over Texas (1946)
There are a few genres where a filmmaker can either have access to the biggest budget or nearly no budget at all, and the experience won’t be hampered depending on the financial constraints or liberties, but rather on the spirit of the story being told. One such genre is Westerns, which have existed from the…
The Postmodern Pelican 