Society
A Beast In Black Sheep’s Clothing
A juxtaposition of serial killer mystery and genre romance, Beast boasts an absorbing tonal shift from drama to thriller, marking Michael Pearce as one to watch. (read more)
DVD
Society
Feminism and the Virgin Whore: Antiporno
Fiercely lurid and often surreal, Sion Sono’s tribute to Japan’s Roman Porno is a whirlwind trip into sexual dichotomy. (read more)
Features
Interracial Tensions and Civil Unrest: Gook
Justin Chon’s sophomore feature packs a punch as a small-scale representation of what led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. (read more)
Society
One Woman and Her Dog: Rex
Gabriela Cowperthwaite makes her debut narrative feature with Rex, a biographical film based upon real-life US Marine corporal veteran Megan Leavey. (read more)
Features
Tearing Up Social Mores: The Party
A deliciously bitey satire on bourgeois pretensions, The Party is a reflection on the stage of politics. (read more)
Society
Status Quo Vs. Justice: Strangled
Basing itself upon true events, Strangled is a bold, sociopolitical thriller that pulls no punches. (read more)
Society
Starkly Beautiful: God’s Own Country
Deftly balancing frank storytelling with plausible gay romance, God’s Own Country is a stunning feature debut. (read more)
Features
Depressingly Funny: Daphne
A refreshingly accurate and wryly funny portrayal of everyday mental illness, Daphne is an impressive feature debut. (read more)
Events
Not the Final Countdown for Europe – DVD and Tour (Europe)
EUROPE’s momentous live appearance at Wacken 2015 filmed, recorded and released as a DVD & BluRay (read more)
Society
Guilt, loss and blame in smalltown America (Little Accidents)
A bleak smalltown film, centred around a tragic mining accident (read more)
Art
Metropolis; Hawks and Sparrows; Pigsty
In a nice antidote to blockbuster season, there is much food for thought to be had in three of this week’s DVD releases. (I doubt the debate surrounding the Batman shooting will last for long, and besides, despite the usual lazy journalism, that incident bears no relation to the film’s content.)
Projecting the messages that society will devour anything less than strict obedience, the futility of merging ideologies and the prediction of the abject suppression of the proletariat, the timing for the release of these films—Metropolis (1927); Hawks and Sparrows (1966); Pigsty (1969)—is perfect; only the most oblivious amongst us aren’t pondering the direction of humanity in our current society. (read more)