If there was ever an artist who embodied everything about the counterculture movement, it would undeniably be the great Salvador Dalí, who essentially helped define what it meant to be a revolutionary artist, choosing to stand out decades before we started to see the virtue of refusing to fit into society’s pre-ordained categories. Many have…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Adam Resurrected (2008)
Paul Schrader doesn’t merely make films, he pushes boundaries. Very few screenwriters and film directors have been able to build such solid careers from controversy than him, with his work in the industry, which extends back over half a century, defining him as one of the most interesting voices, in an era where New Hollywood…
The Innocent (2023)
When he isn’t actively engaged in an acting career that has made him one of the most respected young performers in contemporary European cinema, Louis Garrel can often be found honing his craft behind the camera, carrying on the legacy left by two generations of filmmakers that came before him, and proving he is as…
Ornamental Hairpin (1941)
It is impossible to deny that the Japanese culture is one that is very much built on artistic expression, which has made it a country that has been the subject of an enormous amount of discussion with those interested in exploring the extent to which art can permeate everyday life. Whether the visual or literary…
Elemental (2023)
It is a disappointing experience to discover that a studio once known for its impeccable, flawless run of films has started to produce work that is far beneath their usual standards – however, when it comes to Pixar, this has been something that has been happening for the better part of a decade. Not every…
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
One of the great ironies we find in the history of cinema is that the film that encapsulates two of the most quintessentially American concepts – the road movie and rock ‘n’ roll – was made by a Finnish director. Naturally, we aren’t just discussing just any film, or any director for that matter, but…
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
If there is one lesson that we have learned through Hollywood’s obsession with sequels, remakes and reboots, it is that if you want something done right, hire the original team to make it, rather than going for whatever burgeoning young talent was popular at that specific moment, since track record will usually trump ambition in…
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
When the subject of “The Lubitsch Touch” is discussed, there are a few elements that immediately spring to mind. Primarily, it is the image of a well-crafted, meaningful film that combines romance and drama, produced during the Golden Age of Hollywood, but feels profoundly modern, perhaps not in its setting, but rather in its refreshing…
Asteroid City (2023)
Based on his output over the past decade, it would appear as if Wes Anderson is officially in the stage of his career where he is given free rein to do whatever takes his fancy, which has resulted in his already polarizing style becoming more obvious and pronounced, which has divided audiences and caused him…
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
I’d like to start our discussion with two conflicting opinions. The first is that Dracula: Dead and Loving It (the vampiric spoof by Mel Brooks) is far from the comedic icon’s greatest work, and quite possibly towards the bottom of his formidable career. The second is that this is far better than many have made…
The Postmodern Pelican 