More than half a century before Oscar Wilde committed pen to paper in order to write The Picture of Dorian Gray, we had a similarly-themed story on behalf of the equally important literary genius Honoré de Balzac in the form of La Peau de chagrin (commonly translated as “The Magic Skin”), which is also focused…
Tag: movie-review
Coup de Chance (2023)
There was a time when life had a few certainties – the sun would rise in the morning, the tide would flow in and out, and Woody Allen would release a film almost every year, like clockwork. For reasons that are quite obvious surrounding his personal life, the latter has essentially ceased, and in the…
Old Guy (2025)
No matter how much of an expert you become in a particular field, there will come a point where you are seen as “the old guy”, someone who was previously at the top of their game, but the march of time and the inevitability of the younger generation taking over means that we will all…
The Best Films of 2024
Another year, another opportunity to sample from the creative and innovative minds of the many fantastic filmmakers who have defined the cinematic landscape over the past several months, introducing us to some of the most exciting works of fiction and non-fiction. As with any year, there are various masterpieces and misfires, to the point where…
Paddington in Peru (2025)
Over a decade ago, when it was announced that Paul King (a mostly unknown director who had previously only made one barely-seen independent comedy) would be adapting Michael Bond’s timeless stories of Paddington Bear, the reaction was intrigued but not entirely enthused. There had been countless efforts to bring cherished childhood stories to life on…
One of Them Days (2025)
They say friends are the family we choose – and just like family, they have a tendency to get on our nerves from time to time, as is the case with any kind of relationship, with the most meaningful usually being those that are built from a combination of love and frustration. This idea is…
Timestalker (2024)
Originality is such a valuable commodity in contemporary cinema, particularly because it seems so elusive – it has always seemed slightly unnerving the degree to which the industry relies on existing properties rather than embracing the potential of discovering some new, untrodden artistic concept or style. Yet, there are still some filmmakers who are firm…
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Horror is a genre that is constantly changing. If we arrange its development in as much of a linear form as we can, it is possible to see the ebb and flow of certain concepts and styles in terms of popularity and how artistic innovation influenced so many different phases of a genre that has…
Handling the Undead (2024)
Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, and we often find that it is made more difficult when we feel that sense of deep regret for all that we didn’t say and do when they were alive, knowing that we are going to be burdened with that remorse for the rest of our…
Big Boys (2024)
At some point, we all experience some kind of awakening in various forms, where we suddenly realize where we fit into this confusing and challenging world, and take the necessary steps to integrate ourselves into our respective niches or communities, should they be available. For some, this is a smooth process in which one slides…
The Postmodern Pelican 