Category Archives: Rewatch

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Ross Birks

John Hughes’ first film as writer and director has both aged really well and terribly. The good stuff: Hughes’ knack for 80s teenage vernacular is still wonderful. Obviously teens didn’t really talk like Hughes wrote them, but as a stylised … Continue reading →

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Frailty (2001)

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Ross Birks

Frailty is like the greatest Stephen King adaptation that isn’t adapted from a book by Stephen King. Watching this movie, with its pulp-mystery structure and literate archetypal characters, gives me the same feeling I get when I read a lot … Continue reading →

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Deliverance (1972)

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Ross Birks

Deliverance paved the way for the redneck rapist stereotype that still populates backwoods horror cinema, but beyond that I always have trouble pin-pointing why this movie has endured for so long. It’s certainly a strong piece of work, unbelievably 70s … Continue reading →

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Manhunter (1986)

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Ross Birks

Peak 80s Mann. All those surfaces and neon backlights. Mmmm. It’s fun to contrast this with Brett Ratner’s pointless redo Red Dragon (a film I actually enjoy for what it is and have seen a handful of times). Where that … Continue reading →

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28 Days Later… (2002)

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Ross Birks

Ferocious. Shot on pre-HD DV and all the better for it. Boyle goes for the jugular and tears it the fuck out. Even the third-act, which always felt disjointed and at odds with the other two on previous watches (though … Continue reading →

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Ross Birks

Even as a big Danny Boyle fan and someone who gave this five stars once upon a time, I can admit that Slumdog Millionaireisn’t aging well. Still, its total immersion in the textures and vibrancy of India – with all … Continue reading →

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Trance (2013)

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Ross Birks

I can certainly understand why many find Trance underwhelming but there’s something about Danny Boyle’s presentation I find infectious. The audio/visual experience is far more interesting than the plot, characters and dialogue. Boyle has become increasingly haywire with every film he … Continue reading →

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Jerry Maguire (1996)

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Ross Birks

I love this movie. I don’t care. Cameron Crowe’s ultimate deconstruction of the rom-com. Beginning where most movies would end (character has a moral epiphany), Jerry Maguire instead punishes its title character for even daring to step outside of the box … Continue reading →

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Rocky Balboa (2006)

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Ross Birks

Sylvester Stallone’s performance as Rocky Balboa across seven movies/forty years is one of my favourite things in movies. His emotional breakdowns in this one absolutely floor me. Also Stallone’s best script since the original Rocky. The ache, the pain, the … Continue reading →

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Rocky IV (1985)

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Ross Birks

Stallone never really gets his due as a filmmaker. Anyone who believes in the auteur theory could make a serious case for Stallone just by looking at the Rockyseries. I love these movies because of how he utilised them to reflect … Continue reading →

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