We have all at some point encountered Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ theory of the Five Stages of Grief, the self-explanatory belief that every individual will undergo a few different psychological experiences after an immense loss. It’s formed the foundation for a lot of therapy towards those during the mourning period – but like all of psychology, it…
Blame It on Rio (1984)
Seeing any great actor or director fall from grace in such a way that questions their entire artistic integrity is never a particularly entertaining experience, especially when they are making something that seems to have good intentions. In the case of Blame It on Rio, we have an example of both an actor (Michael Caine)…
Orion and the Dark (2024)
We all know that familiar feeling – the sun sets, and we make our way to bed. We struggle to fall asleep, wondering what is lurking in the shadows that surround us. The fear of the dark is one of the most common childhood experiences, and the anxiety that comes with the idea that something…
Ravenous (1999)
While most filmmakers will usually tend to craft stories around subjects that are accessible and not too overly disturbing, there are a few that will intentionally push boundaries, perhaps not to court controversy but rather to establish a more challenging style of storytelling, or simply to provoke some kind of a reaction. Antonia Bird certainly…
Argylle (2024)
We live in a cinematic landscape where profitability supersedes originality, and studios tend to go for what is tried and tested more than platforming exciting new stories or concepts that have never been done before, under the misguided belief that audiences only appreciate what is familiar to them. A filmmaker who has worked relatively hard…
The Pledge (2001)
When we were children, many of us were taught the importance of a promise – the unbreakable, infallible pledge to someone that could not be challenged or destroyed, regardless of whatever obstacles stand in our way. As we grow up, the importance of a promise begins to waver, and they are soon used as tools…
Junkyard Dog (2023)
At some point, we have all likely heard the adage that “people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime”, which relates to the idea that some friendships are meant to be temporary, while others become a much more important part of one’s life. We can apply this premise to just…
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Every era has to come to an end, regardless of its cultural or historical impact, since this is the very nature of viewing the past as a series of extended moments, which can be compartmentalized in various ways based on the influence it had on the future. Starting sometime in the late 1980s, the Walt…
Perfect Days (2023)
It has been quite some time since Wim Wenders made a narrative feature film that lives up to the masterpieces he made earlier in his career. Before becoming more interested in non-fiction filmmaking, Wenders was one of the most prominent names in a new wave of German cinema that saw many creative individuals weaving together…
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984)
By the time he reached the mid-1980s, Pedro Almodóvar already had three mildly successful but widely appreciated comedies and several short films, which made him a name recognized by those with a penchant for alternative art, specifically within his native Spain, where he came to be known as someone of a high-level provocateur, but someone…
The Postmodern Pelican 