I was incredibly saddened today to hear about the death of Mike Nichols. Not only was he one of my all-time favorite directors, I found it about it on my birthday, which makes him the second director in the span of a few years for that to happen to, with the other being the brilliant…
The Guard (2011)
After seeing Brendan Gleeson’s absolutely amazing work in Calvary a few weeks ago, I was eager to see his other collaboration with John Michael McDonagh, the Irish version of a traditional buddy cop comedy. The film, entitled The Guard, is a real oddity of a comedy – it has a simple premise combined with the…
Mr. Mom (1983)
There are few people that epitomize the 1980s cinema world quite like John Hughes and Michael Keaton. In what was only their sophomore film efforts – Hughes writing and Keaton starring, they create one of the most endearing family comedies of the tumultuous eighties. Keaton plays Jack Butler, the ultimate 1980s family man – loving…
An Appreciation of…Jim Carrey (1962 – present)
Jim Carrey may not be the definition of a thespian. Despite being a huge box-office draw, and being relatively beloved by a huge fanbase, Carrey is a divisive actor. Some find his broad comedic appeal revolting, and will avoid seeing him in a movie at all costs. However, if you look a little deeper, you…
Streets of Fire (1984)
Streets of Fire, the epitome of 1980s romantic action movies, begins with a crowded nightclub. The beautiful and talented (and here quite youthful) Diane Lane begins singing a rousing song that none other than Meat Loaf would go on to record later on. It is a joyous, energetic introduction, filled with 1950s decor combined with…
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Smart satire and broad comedy are both very popular forms of humour, but they very rarely overlap. A great example is seen when we look at the smart, neurotic humour of Woody Allen, and the more lowbrow, but equally excellent, work of Mel Brooks. Both were excellent filmmakers that carved out their niches in Hollywood….
Barton Fink (1991)
Very rarely is a film made about writers, which is strange considering how they are mostly responsible for creating the stories we see on screen. I am sure anyone who tries to write regularly, either as a hobby or as part of their career, can relate to the hilariously tragic story of Barton Fink. With…
Freaks (1932)
In today’s society, a film like Freaks would never be made. Despite showing the titular characters not as monsters, but as people like this film did, it would have been very difficult to actually make a film like this. That’s why Freaks is a very special, unique film that has aged incredibly well and its…
Gone Girl (2014)
Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see in Gone Girl. I was expecting a conventionally good thriller. I was not expecting a twisted, macabre and terrifying tale of the dangers that lurk in the minds of the most normal people. Simply described, it is about Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) whose…
Calvary (2014)
Brendan Gleeson – what an underrated actor. The brooding, sinister Irish character actor has had some brilliantly memorable roles. However, it is his performance as Father James, the kindhearted Catholic priest in a remote Irish small town that truly shows off his range as an actor. The McDonagh Brothers (Martin and John Michael) have singlehandedly…
The Postmodern Pelican 