Is there any name that evokes a more passionate response than Charlie Chaplin? Arguably the most recognizable actor to ever work in the medium of film (perhaps only overtaken by Marilyn Monroe in terms of being a pure icon that is known across the world), he earned every bit of his acclaim and status as…

Patricia “Pat” Pemberton (Katharine Hepburn) is something of an enigma – she has spent most of her professional life working as a physical education teacher at a range of high schools and universities, where she is helping nurture the next generation of athletes, despite the fact that she herself is good enough in a variety…

Whether you like it or not, South Park has left a lasting cultural impression on the world of entertainment, with the quirky animated comedy about four foul-mouthed pre-teens in the fictional titular Colorado town having been a constant presence for nearly a quarter of a century now. I am in no way a firm adherent…

Throughout a career that saw him essentially redefining how comedy is made, particularly in his approach to looking at some very serious subjects through his off-kilter brand of melancholic humour, Paul Mazursky made some terrific films. One of the great stalwarts of a particular era in American filmmaking, he was not someone afraid to push…

As is the case with many filmgoers, it doesn’t take much for me to get invested in the prospect of a new film by Paul Thomas Anderson, who has proven himself to be one of the most versatile filmmakers working in cinema today. The past quarter-century has been dominated by discourse around his steadily-growing status…

When I first saw Napoleon Dynamite (which was most likely around the time of its original release) I found it funny but unremarkable, the kind of well-meaning independent comedies that had good intentions, but became unbearable once audiences adopted the mannerisms of the characters, making them part of their personality, which was funny for a…

Irony is a powerful literary tool when used correctly – and there’s nothing quite as wonderfully self-referential as Aaron Spelling, a mogul of soap operas and television dramas, producing a film like Soapdish, which both celebrates and annihilates the empire he helped construct. Michael Hoffman’s irreverent and hilarious satire is one of the funniest films…

Romance, espionage, intrigue and geriatric humour – these are all themes that are found throughout The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea (French: La vieille qui marchait dans la mer), the perplexing but utterly delightful comedy written and directed by Laurent Heynemann, who puts together one of the most charming films of the 1990s….

There were two versions of Chilly Scenes of Winter, the film adaptation of Ann Beattie’s novel, released between 1979 and 1982. The first was Head Over Heels, a mildly well-received version, and the second was one that bore the source material’s title, and featured a different ending. The decision which one to view was based…