Hasitha Fernando reviews the ninth episode of Doom Patrol… Our ragtag band of misfits have hit a snag; they are at a loss to explain what’s wrong with Jane. But just when they’ve all given up hope, the Negative Entity within Larry comes forth and with the assistance of Cliff, they try to save Jane […]
Blu-ray Review – Terra Formars (2016)
Terra Formars, 2016. Directed by Takashi Miike. Starring Rinko Kikuchi, Rila Fukushima, Shun Oguri, Emi Takei, Kane Kosugi, and Hideaki Itô. SYNOPSIS: In the 24th century a group of social misfits are sent to Mars on a mission to destroy cockroaches sent there years before, only the roaches have evolved slightly. Based on the manga […]
Movie Review – Greta (2019)
Greta, 2019. Directed by Neil Jordan Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Isabelle Huppert, Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, and Stephen Rea. SYNOPSIS: After finding a handbag left in a Subway car, a young woman befriends the bag’s older owner, but finds it increasingly difficult to end the relationship when Greta gets a little too close for comfort. […]
Movie Review – Ash Is Purest White (2018)
Ash Is Purest White, 2018. Written and Directed by Jia Zhangke. Starring Tao Zhao and Liao Fan. SYNOPSIS: ASH IS PUREST WHITE follows the journey of Qiao (Tao Zhao), the moll of a local mob boss who has fallen from grace… Director Jia Zhangke has steadily risen to become a leading figure in the ‘Sixth-generation’ […]
The History of the Multi-Part Film, Part I of I
Pim Razenberg on Multi-Part Film franchising… In the 2015 article The Future of Franchising: The Shared Universe, I discussed the development of franchising strategies within Hollywood. In the 2010s, these strategies cumulated in the dawn of interconnected franchising through “cinematic universes”, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. Today, as we […]
DVD Review – The Bouncer (2018)
The Bouncer, 2018. Directed by Julien Leclercq. Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sami Bouajila, Sveva Alviti, Kevin Janssens, and Sam Louwyck. SYNOPSIS: An ageing bouncer struggles to raise his 8-year-old daughter when he becomes involved with the criminal underworld. Another year, another direct-to-DVD release starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, the craggy-faced Muscles from Brussels whose career went […]
Blu-ray Review – The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire (1971)
The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire, 1971. Directed by Riccardo Freda. Starring Luigi Pistilli, Dagmar Lassander, Anton Diffring, Valentina Cortese. SYNOPSIS: A grizzled detective investigating the murder of a young woman gets romantically involved with the daughter of the victim’s lover as each of the primary suspects is killed off one by one. Coming […]
Doom Patrol Season 1 Episode 8 – ‘Danny Patrol’
Hasitha Fernando reviews the eighth episode of Doom Patrol… Jane part ways with the group momentarily, following Cliff’s psychotic meltdown. She seeks refuge in one of her more outrageous personas; an overtly high-spirited yet volatile character named ‘Karen’ who possesses the power to infatuate individuals. An anxious Cliff and reluctant Rita goes after her. Meanwhile, […]
Second Opinion – Pet Sematary (2019)
Pet Sematary, 2019. Directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer Starring Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, Jeté Laurence, Obssa Ahmed, Alyssa Brooke Levine, Sonia Maria Chirila, Hugo Lavoie, Lucas Lavoie, and John Lithgow. SYNOPSIS: After moving to the sleepy, woodland town of Ludlow, a family faces tragedy and demonic evil emanating from a distant point deep […]
The Twilight Zone Premiere Review – ‘The Comedian / Nightmare at 30,000 Feet’
Hasitha Fernando reviews the series premiere of The Twilight Zone… The original anthology series created by Rod Sterling set a dizzyingly high benchmark for others to follow. Making its debut in the late 1950’s it proved to be a wild success, thrilling audiences with the macabre and unexpected. Often these phantasmagoric tales were imbued with […]