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Author Archives: Ross Birks
A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness (2013)
I keep seeing this billed as a documentary but I don’t feel that at all. Sure, it stars real-life musician/artist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe but I never got the sense he was appearing as himself. This feels like cinema (yes I know … Continue reading
Twixt (2011)
The kind of film a once-great filmmaker makes when nobody is looking. Twixt was almost immediately thrown under the bus when it premiered on VOD platforms a few years back but it’s far better than that. There’s something thrilling about seeing a … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Alden Ehrenreich, Ben Chaplin, Bruce Dern, Elle Fanning, Francis Ford Coppola, Twixt, Val Kilmer
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Gummo (1997)
Gummo is like channel surfing through weirdo America. This film has a perspective all of its own and it belongs, inherently, to Harmony Korine. Watching Gummo is like stepping into a universe or a strange stupor that could regress into a nightmare at … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Chloe Sevigny, Gummo, Harmony Korine
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The Ruins (2008)
The Ruins gets bonus points for pulling off a potentially ridiculous concept with serious punch. It never exceeds its foundations as a B-movie in terms of performances or script, but conceptually it is very strong. A bunch of (dumb) vacationing students … Continue reading
Faces (1968)
A startlingly immediate and vivid vision of mid-life insecurity and hysteria. Watching just ten minutes of Faces, with its production background in mind, it’s easy to see why Cassavetes is considered the godfather of independent film in America. This aesthetic has … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Faces, Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Seymour Cassel
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Lovely Molly (2012)
For anyone who wondered what happened to the Blair Witch guys this is a real treat. Directed by Eduardo Sanchez (co-director of The Blair Witch Project) Lovely Molly is another exercise in minimalist backwoods chills and suggestion-over-showcase. Anchored by a titanic central performance by Gretchen … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged eduardo sanchez, Gretchen Lodge, Lovely Molly
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Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Romero’s masterpiece. Zombies were never my favourite horror ghouls as a kid and Romero was never really one of “my guys” in the same way Raimi, Carpenter and Craven were. Nevertheless I saw Dawn of the Dead multiple times and enjoyed it … Continue reading
Posted in Favourite Movies, Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews, Rewatch, Uncategorized
Tagged Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero
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Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991)
Quite a forgettable cheapie splat-fest that reminded me of Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers with its emphasis on witty one liners rather than an atmospheric plot. It lacks that film’s more unique qualities and frankly, the only thing that brought me here was the … Continue reading
Posted in Movies Watched In 2016, Reviews
Tagged Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh, Tom Savini
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A Bigger Splash (2016)
A colourful stab of energy and observation. A Bigger Splash has a bit of a personality crisis. At times it is incredibly controlled and stylish and at others it is loose and rambling. At first I struggled with the contrast but grew … Continue reading
"This Film Should Be Played Loud" 