How does one begin to describe The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!, other than to remark on how it is one of the rare instances of a horror film perfectly being encapsulated by the title. This is certainly a film that is ambitious enough to be both a horror film about rats and…
A Summer Tale (2000)
There are some films that may not have the strongest story or most original ideas, but instead inspire nothing but joy through their exuberance and love for the world that surrounds them. One of the most exceptional examples of this is in A Summer Tale (Swedish: Den bästa sommaren), the lovely comedy written and directed…
In a Lonely Place (1950)
If there was ever a filmmaker who knew the merit of a story well told, it would be Nicholas Ray, whose career was as diverse as it was prolific. During his peak, he directed some of the greatest films ever to be produced by Hollywood’s major studios, working in a range of genres that consolidated…
The Big Chill (1983)
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder – but when this absence is broken by tragedy, it can unleash conversations that many would consider better having been left unspoken. This is where we first meet the characters at the heart of The Big Chill, a ragtag group of young people who previously went to…
As They Made Us (2022)
Saying goodbye is never easy. Whether or not we find it tragic or cathartic (or both, which is often the case with losing a loved one), there’s something profoundly challenging about uttering those final words, granted one even has the power to say something so absolute. This is the foundation for As They Made Us,…
The Souvenir Part II (2021)
When an artist has achieved perfection (or something very close to it), it’s difficult to justify their decision to try to replicate that same success. This is the case for Joanna Hogg, whose efforts in bringing The Souvenir Part II to the screen were admirable, if not slightly bewildering, not because the film was bad…
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
There is nothing quite as entertaining as a good murder mystery, and someone whose name immediately evokes the idea of quality in this regard is the incredible Agatha Christie, whose works have not only captivated audiences for generations, but actually made history (with The Mousetrap remaining the longest-running play in history, its staggering 70-year run…
The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)
Somewhere in the English countryside sits an idyllic hamlet, on which Nutbourne College stands. A prestigious boys’ school that has been operating for decades, it has been known to produce a high calibre of students, which can easily be attributed to the strong, willful headmasters who occupy the intimidating post at the helm of the…
King of New York (1990)
Crime doesn’t pay, but it certainly doesn’t seem to help pay the rent on occasion. This is the fundamental conversation being conducted throughout King of New York, the ambitious crime drama by Abel Ferrara, who has made something of a career out of telling stories of individuals that may engage in activities that are somewhat…
The Longest Yard (1974)
The Longest Yard is a strange film for a number of reasons, many of them having to do with how imbalanced it feels. Helmed by the ever-reliable Robert Aldrich (a chameleon of filmmaking, having worked in every conceivable genre, particularly in studio fare that were based on the supposed interests of the general public), and…
The Postmodern Pelican 