I have seen some awfully good German films in the past few years and I will count “Undine” amongst one of them. It reminded me of “Shape of Water” due to the mysticism of both those films. However there is some real lore in “Undine”. According to European mythology Undine is a water nymph whoContinue reading ““Undine”: A German Wet and Wonderful Mythological Romantic Film Winner”
Category Archives: film
“Jenny”: Classic Greek 1960’s film shows beautiful lampooning ahead of its time
A couple of years ago in Greece I had to spend a couple of months taking care of certain estate matters. I was on Samos, a beautiful mountainous island, very close to Turkey. We were staying in Samos City as it is called but the locals call it by its old name Vathi. Vathi was,Continue reading ““Jenny”: Classic Greek 1960’s film shows beautiful lampooning ahead of its time”
“Lost Contact”: Autistics as Aliens?
I encountered Jaina Kalifa’s film “Happy Android” as a short at Toronto Hot Docs Festival in 2019 and it was a simple uplifting story about a mentally distraught man creating a robot costume and trundling about making so many people, particularly children, happy. How could this be? A near “social reject” making people who mightContinue reading ““Lost Contact”: Autistics as Aliens?”
A Modern Greek Tragedy Both Human and Societal: “City of Children”
The Greek Film “City of Children” presents the viewer with a multitude of tragedies. There is nothing like a tragedy to make one feel like a fool for wasted time and bad decisions. There are four couples in the film and pregnancy is ostensibly the main theme but perhaps very subtly the bigger tragedy isContinue reading “A Modern Greek Tragedy Both Human and Societal: “City of Children””
“Coral Ghosts”: Stunning photography but a sad story
Toronto Filmmaker Andrew Nisker’s “Coral Ghosts” presents the viewer with stunning cinematography but a tragic story about the death of the world’s coral reefs. Coral is a living organism and as it is extremely sensitive to increases in water temperatures it is “bleaching out” and dying. With its death the ecosystem that inhabits these reefs isContinue reading ““Coral Ghosts”: Stunning photography but a sad story”
“Taken by the Muse”: On the Path of Becoming a Filmmaker”: Seemingly random events shaping your life
Anne Wheeler is perhaps best known as an Albertan documentarian and filmmaker. In the narrow sense this book is a chronicle of several life events in the 1970’s that shaped her into the filmmaker that she is. However in a more expansive sense it a universal story about certain events in our life that shapeContinue reading ““Taken by the Muse”: On the Path of Becoming a Filmmaker”: Seemingly random events shaping your life”
“Amityville Poltergeist”: Where is the horror?
Here’s a typical horror movie with perhaps a twist which might be totally out in leftfield but when you make a movie be prepared for possible multiple interpretations. Quickly then to the plot. After losing his mother to cancer Jim (Parris Bates) moves out of town leaving his father and sister behind. He hangs withContinue reading ““Amityville Poltergeist”: Where is the horror?”
“Moby Doc”: The Highs and the Lows
This is an autobiographical documentary featuring musician Moby who started with punk and moved to electro. He had a miserable childhood with an alcoholic father who died when Moby was a tot. The parents were arguing incessantly. His only solace were his pets and then music as he took to playing a guitar one ofContinue reading ““Moby Doc”: The Highs and the Lows”
“The Long Way Back “: Some Reflections on an Indie Film
Breaking Glass Pictures (BGP) in Philadelphia has an interesting portfolio of films they have sent my way over the past few years. Not all are great but some are gaspingly delightful and not to mention the LGBTQ film inventory they have. And they don’t carry the Hollywood slop I have little interest in. In theContinue reading ““The Long Way Back “: Some Reflections on an Indie Film”
“I’m Wanita”: Wanita’s Big Chance!: Toronto Hot Docs
This is my last Hot Docs Film to be reviewed and after seeing so many serious and less than cheerful documentaries I came across one from Down Under “I’m Wanita” that is a bit more relaxing than being enshrined in doom. Wanita, a hard drinking and party animal and former sex trade worker is aContinue reading ““I’m Wanita”: Wanita’s Big Chance!: Toronto Hot Docs”
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