Not many people can attest to having to present an idea to the great Alfred Hitchcock, and only had it rejected after intense deliberation resulted in neither the director nor writer being able to come up with a feasible way of making the film’s premise work, but where Hitchcock himself was so interested in the…
Brief Encounter (1945)
If we are looking at the history of romance on screen, we can divide it into two distinct eras – those films that were made before Brief Encounter, and those that were made after it. This isn’t a hyperbolic way of calling this one of the greatest screen romances ever committed to film – it’s…
Songs for Drella (1990)
There are a few figures in 20th-century art that have become synonymous with the concept of fame, people who transcend numerous boundaries and remain iconic, whether it is for who they are or what they represented. Andy Warhol is undeniably one of the most important artists of his generation, both for his own creative output,…
The Cat in the Bag (1964)
Francophone cinema has certainly held a monopoly when it comes to foreign language filmmaking, as evident by the prominence of French and Belgian films that are widely consumed every year. However, an area that we tend to overlook are the movies produced in Canada by the French-speaking population. It’s certainly not a case of there…
Eo (2022)
How do you begin a conversation about Eo without simply collapsing into a state of complete psychological despair? This is one of the many questions that anyone endeavouring to discuss the ambitious drama written and directed by the legendary and highly influential Jerzy Skolimowski has to face when confronted with the abundance of emotions contained…
The Day Has Gone (1968)
Watching a film made by a pioneer of a specific kind of movement or national cinema is always a compelling experience, since it allows us to see a different side of the filmmaking process, as well as gives insights into the challenges these directors tend to face. Márta Mészáros is one of Hungary’s most celebrated…
Vampire’s Kiss (1989)
Vampire’s Kiss is a film that is so outrageous and satirical, that merely trying to describe it without resorting to hyperbole seems almost impossible. The film, which was written and directed by Robert Bierman, is the kind of story that both repels and intrigues the viewer, often doing so at the exact same time. The…
Spellbound (1945)
The pleasure of being a completionist when it comes to certain artists is that it allows you to pay attention to smaller works that you might otherwise ignore due to them being overshadowed by the more major achievements. I’ve been gradually working my way through the work of Alfred Hitchcock, and while it has been…
The Whale (2022)
Every few years, there is a film that comes along that is so striking and ambitious, the process of leaving the cinema is nearly impossible, whether it be the result of awe-inspired wonder, or the abundance of emotions that wash over the viewer. The Whale was a very difficult film to walk away from –…
Fancy Pants (1950)
There may be many different forms of humour, but comedy has always been driven by a few major tenets, with every work that sets out to provoke some form of laughter following either one or a combination of these concepts. Mistaken or false identities have always been a very reliable source of humour, going back…
The Postmodern Pelican 