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Author Archives: Ross Birks
Mom and Dad (2018)
Being that this is directed by one half of the Neveldine/Taylor dynamic duo, it’s not surprising to find that Mom and Dadfeels like a Neveldine/Taylor sensory attack, just one that lands only half the damage. It’s fine though! The film’s primary … Continue reading
Spider-Man (2002)
Revisiting Spider-Man in a post-MCU headspace is quite the trip. This is what a cutting edge superhero blockbuster looked and sounded like in 2002. I was eleven years old when I first saw Raimi’s movie in the cinema and I … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged 2002, Cliff Robertson, james franco, Kirsten Dunst, Rosemary Harris, Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe
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Desert Hearts (1985)
A film with a heartbeat that both aches and flutters, Desert Hearts is a quiet and contemplative love story that lets itself get lost in evening conversations and loaded silences. Directed by Donna Deitch and beautifully shot by Robert Elswitt … Continue reading
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
I suppose the biggest compliment I can lay on a lot of these recent Marvel movies is that by the time the home video release comes around, I find myself giddily anticipating a rewatch. My eagerness to take Thor: Ragnarokfor … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged 2017, Anthony Hopkins, cate blanchett, Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson, Tom Hiddleston
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Predestination (2014)
Predestination is one of the great “guy walks into a bar” movies. If it jettisoned its opening ten minutes and began simply with that – a guy walking into a bar – I imagine the extreme turns it takes henceforth … Continue reading
Lord of the Flies (1963)
Peter Brook’s evocative adaptation of William Golding’s seminal Lord of the Fliesgains of a lot of agency simply from the casting of age-appropriate kids in the main roles. It’s one thing to read the words but to actually see a … Continue reading
The Conjuring (2013)
I keep returning to The Conjuring every few years not because it scares the shit out of me – it doesn’t – but because Wan clearly aspires to a certain level of craft and calibre within the genre and pours … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, Rewatch
Tagged 2013, james wan, Lili Taylor, patrick wilson, Ron Livingston, Vera Farmiga
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Blood Harvest (1987)
A generally bland slasher curio made all the more curious thanks to the heavy presence of Tiny Tim in the cast. The film makes good use of its contained locations, to the point where it feels like a narrative decision … Continue reading
Mute (2018)
To echo a lot of the other criticisms (and in fact criticisms dating all the way back to early script reviews), Mute‘s neon-junk sci-fi setting never feels totally necessary to the plot or themes, but then again there’s no valid … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged 2018, Alexander Skarsgaard, Duncan Jones, Justin Theroux, Paul Rudd
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Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016)
While I had some reservations going into this – seeing a 60 year old Paul Reubens young himself up into this man-child certainly has creepy undertones – Pee-wee’s Big Holiday stays true to the Pee-wee spirit with nary a bad … Continue reading
"This Film Should Be Played Loud" 