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Author Archives: Ross Birks
Detour (2016)
Ugh. A derivative, bland Tarantino/general cool-guy genre knock-off that is about twenty years out of date. A movie so dumb and “clever” that its big structural rug-pull had absolutely no impact on me whatsoever as I didn’t even realise I … Continue reading
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Bubba Ho-Tep (2005)
Bruce Campbell as the best movie Elvis and Ossie Davis as JFK fighting a fucking mummy in a care-home. I can’t believe this movie exists. Also Coscarelli’s art-film pacing is inspired. He never goes for the easy, self-aware gags that … Continue reading
Ricki and the Flash (2015)
While certainly nothing major for either Demme or Cody, you can feel their fingerprints coming together. It’s got that quirky sense of detail which is central to both of their careers. Cody moreso perhaps. For instance, when I think of … Continue reading
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Phenomena (1985)
When I first watched Phenomena a few years ago I found it to be one of Argento’s weakest movies, and while I still hold that opinion to a certain extent, I vastly underestimated the replay value of its set-pieces and design. As … Continue reading
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A Master Builder (2013)
Formally, this is as fascinating as anything Demme has ever done even if it seemsunremarkable on the surface. It falls under his more experimental works like Swimming to Cambodia but nowhere near as successful. It’s clearly an directorial exercise for him but one … Continue reading
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Black Mama, White Mama (1973)
Let’s be honest, seeing a bunch of sexy women rip each other’s clothes off behind bars certainly has its appeals but it only gets you so far. Nevertheless, Black Mama, White Mama contains some of my favourite things in movies; Pam Grier, … Continue reading
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Brain Damage (1988)
One of the great pleasures of the movies is that moment when you see something so singular and bizarre that you actually laugh out loud and ask yourself “what the fuck am I watching?” I live for those moments. Frank Henenlotter’s entire … Continue reading
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Beloved (1998)
I’ve never read Toni Morrison’s seminal novel that this is based on and came to it as a Demme completist more than anything but crikey does this have a lot to plow through. The combination of sincere humanist storytelling with … Continue reading
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Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Unashamedly designed and paced to appeal to the youth of the 1990s, for a certain generation Romeo + Juliet is the film that transformed the Bard from boring english lesson into something closer to blockbuster entertainment. This is Shakespeare as a Fellini … Continue reading
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Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)
Oblivion is the most unusual entry in the Phantasm series and it’s an easy one to write off. Faced with increasingly limited budgets and an uphill struggle to get an epic Roger Avary-penned sequel (Phantasm’s End/Phantasm 1999) financed, Coacarelli decided to scramble together … Continue reading
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"This Film Should Be Played Loud" 