April 19, 2010

Once (John Carney, 2006)

WHAT IT IS: An aspiring English songwriter meets a young singer who sparks his desire and ambition. HOW IT IS: There has been a lot of press on how cheap this movie was to make and how much profit and praise it has garnered. It’s true that aesthetically, this movie looks amateurish, with no photography crafting, camera skill or direction. […]
March 26, 2010

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Scott Glosserman, 2006)

Behind the Mask supposes that the horror stories that haunt Elm Street or Crystal Lake are elaborate hoaxes which elevate their authors to legendary status.
April 2, 2014

12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen, 2013)

The highlight of 12 Years a Slave is Steve McQueen’s direction. The arresting scenes of the film are the moments of sheer beauty.
March 26, 2010

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Tom Tykwer, 2006)

WHAT IT IS: Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born destitute, has the most gifted olfactory sense ever bestowed on a human being. He yearns to learn how to distill all smells, including a woman’s. HOW IT IS: Twyker’s Perfume is strange but mesmerizing, like a song you can’t forget. It slowly creeps in, half serial killer movie, half meditation on life, talent and […]
December 16, 2013

HK: Hentai Kamen (Yûichi Fukuda, 2013)

Apart from the fact that it’s one of the most entertaining films of 2013, the best thing about HK: Hentai Kamen is the joy of having to explain its premise to people, to witness their flabbergasted stare and assure them that “it’s really, really good”. Actually, it is really good because its parody comes from a place of love for […]