Some filmmakers do their best work when they are given the opportunity to be as weird as they desire. Kentucker Audley is one such filmmaker, someone whose body of work as both an actor and director may not be particularly well-known outside of a niche group of devotees, but who has proven himself worthy of…
The Peddler and the Lady (1943)
At the perfect intersection between comedy, melodrama and romance stands a film that has been seemingly obscured entirely from history, but is surprisingly one of the most moving and captivating films of its era. The Peddler and the Lady (Italian: Campo de’ fiori), which was directed by Mario Bonnard (who collaborated with half a dozen…
Boston Strangler (2023)
In the early 1960s, the American public (as well as the rest of the world) was captivated by the existence of the serial killer known as The Boston Strangler, an individual who spent the years between 1962 and 1964 on a trail of murder, his victims being over a dozen single women that he targeted…
Arsenic and Old Lace (1943)
In the canon of upbeat films about dreadful subjects, Arsenic and Old Lace reigns supreme as one of the very best. A hilariously irreverent dark comedy that centres on the concept of cold-blooded murder, it has stood as one of the most fascinating examples of subversive cinema produced during the Golden Age of Hollywood. The…
Goodbye Solo (2008)
There was a time when Ramin Bahrani was considered one of the most exciting young directors of his generation. He was given boundless praise by both critics and the industry, as well as audiences, all of which responded with nothing but the most sincere praise for his work, which signalled a flourishing directorial career that…
Empire of Light (2022)
We have all presumably felt that specific sensation at least once, the feeling of walking through those doors, handing the usher your ticket while trying to balance your overpriced treats from the concession stand, before walking into that dimly-lit theatre and taking your seat amongst a few dozen other strangers, all gathered together to undergo…
King of the Zombies (1941)
It only seems logical that, when exploring the comedies of the past, that we’d naturally be more inclined to start with the classics, the films that have been established as the masterpieces, especially since they tend to represent the absolute best the genre has to offer. However, there are some occasions when the best comedies…
The Twelve Chairs (1970)
Literature has the power to not only transport readers to entirely different periods and settings, but also to capture history in a way that few other kinds of art can. There is something about putting words on the page and telling a story that can be both incredibly entertaining and profoundly moving. As far as…
Lyle Lyle Crocodile (2022)
Who of us hasn’t had the pleasure of buying a vintage brownstone house in the heart of Manhattan, only to find that it is inhabited by a ten-foot-tall crocodile with a beautiful singing voice, as well as his eccentric owner, a magician who is trying his best to break into the mainstream? If you are…
The Best Films of 2022
It is that time of year again – the 95th Academy Awards are tonight, bringing somewhat of an official end to the cinematic year. As is tradition, I spend today reflecting on the past year, looking at the films that made the most profound difference, and those which represent the best that cinema had to…
The Postmodern Pelican 