There are many qualities associated with the fall of the Soviet Union that tend to be fascinating, that extend beyond the historical context and instead focus on other qualities not normally discussed when looking at this era. For decades, the art produced by the Soviet Union and its closest allies was mainly hidden from Western…
Category: Fantasy
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
While it is tempting to view it as a singular chronological entity (particularly since we are predisposed to preferring the orderly structure it contains), cinema is nothing more than a series of movements, occurring concurrently and often in slightly different ways when it comes to themes and overall artistic innovation. Breaking it up into smaller…
A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
Over time, we have grown to view Danny Boyle as something of an establishment of British cinema – a solid and reliable filmmaker who has a very distinct approach to the storytelling process, and a lot of technical skill to make his films consistently entertaining and insightful. However, he’s also an example of a filmmaker…
The Legend of Ochi (2025)
We all search for a sense of belonging – regardless of our background, there is always a desire to find a place where we feel comfortable and safe, whether physically or emotionally. We often find that there are interesting observations made by artists when it comes to exploring this idea, with entire genres being built…
Snow White (2025)
At what point do we actually stand up to arguably the most powerful entertainment entity in current existence and demand that they improve the quality of their work? For over a decade, The Walt Disney Company has been engaged in the bewildering act of taking its cherished animated classics and remaking them into colourless, bland…
The Skin of Sorrow (2010)
More than half a century before Oscar Wilde committed pen to paper in order to write The Picture of Dorian Gray, we had a similarly-themed story on behalf of the equally important literary genius Honoré de Balzac in the form of La Peau de chagrin (commonly translated as “The Magic Skin”), which is also focused…
Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024)
Imagination is the most powerful currency known to man. Perhaps an overly hackneyed sentiment that invalidates more concrete forms of wealth, but it is still very motivating and the premise on which many creative individuals choose to base their lives. One of the great examples of this concept in practice comes in the form of…
IF (2024)
One of the more bizarre trends we see year after year in cinema is the attempt to create a new franchise based around live-action, family-friendly entertainment that doesn’t rely on existing cinematic properties or material that is already quite popular in its own right. Usually, this involves adapting cherished childhood storybooks that are marketed to…
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
For about as long as we have been sentient, there have been questions about what happens to us after we die, and whether or not there is an afterlife – and if so, what are the conditions to enter into it? The answer is almost always leading a principled, morally strong life with minimal diversions…
Fantastic Night (1942)
What is a dream other than a fantastical scenario that our minds create, convincing us that they are real for a very brief moment in time? We’ve seen countless works of art that look at the bizarre but universal phenomenon of dreams, whether directly or as the supplement to a larger narrative – and its…
The Postmodern Pelican 