The readers of my website who have been following for a long time will know that I have written the occasional film review. In truth, I review a shockingly small percentage of the films that I watch. Part of the reason for this is because I often can’t be bothered, but the main reason...
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In 2003 me and a few friends sat down at Nova cinemas in Lygon St. (Melbourne, Australia) to watch the first “Yes Men” movie. The yes men are a group of activists who participate in something called “identity correction”. They basically host websites which are similar to, and make fun of, the websites of...
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“Do Aye!!” Translated variously as “our cause”, “it is our task”, or “our struggle” is a familiar cry for anyone who has been to a protest on behalf of Burma. I’ve been attending protests like these for about nine years, but the sound of “do aye” (pronounced daw-YAY) has never sent a chill up...
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While browsing the apple movie trailers website, I happened on a fascinating preview for a feature length documentary on, you’ve guessed it, planet Earth. When I saw this film, I couldn’t help but remark on how timely such a piece could have come, and how conveniently it fits in with the recent content of...
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The new Star Trek film is not a standard Star Trek film. While possessing of a wealth of references to older Star Trek canon, it is not a film which requires any amount of prior Star Trek knowledge in order to be enjoyed. Above all else, and I feel that film makers charged with...
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A pseudo-historical story which I have heard countless times before, retold with an all-star cast and with the help of Christopher Doyle’s cinematography, Hero is a treat of a film. Shown recently at the Melbourne International Film Festival, its single screening sold out quite quickly. In fact, a group of five friends of mine...
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In 1982, when The Dark Crystal was released, it set a new benchmark for special effects, in particular its use of models and puppets. While today, in a world of million-dollar computer graphic budgets, the impact of its special effects is more difficult to appreciate, it is still a remarkable piece of work, and...
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“All these men were honoured in their generation and were a glory in their day”
In 1924 the Olympics were a very different kettle of fish compared to what they are today. Before big-time corporate sponsorship, before one could make a career out of sport, before widespread doping had even been conceived of, the spirit...
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When one sits down to watch an animated feature film, one comes with certain expectations, certain assumptions and, inevitably, certain misconceptions about the genre. If ever there was a film which would challenge my conceptions about animated features, this masterpiece from Hayao Miyazaki would be the one.
Before Titanic, Princess Mononoke held the record for...
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