Chungking Express
This 1994 film weaves together two distinct and interconnected stories set against the backdrop of Hong Kong's chaotic streets
Decision To Leave
Decision To Leave is a ‘cool’ film; it is Film Noir. Oddly though, l laughed more than you would expect for such a film and that is not a bad thing. Decision To Leave is consistently in tension; both drama and comedy, edgy and cliché, romance and thriller, all the time dancing between boundaries of genres but never bound by one.
James Turrell
James Turrell has been celebrating light for over 50 years. More than just an onlooker, Turrell has managed direct and shape space, using light. Turrell’s work somehow manages to give form to the formless and presence to that which surrounds us.
Drive My Car
Drive My Car is sticky. It sticks to you. It stays with you. It keeps reminding you of its presence. It is strange to say this because it is minimal and at times vacant. It seems like it should be long forgotten but like memories, it ‘sticks to you’.
The French Dispatch
If l was a filmmaker or Art Director, l am not sure if l would be inspired or depressed. ‘Inspired’ because The French Dispatch is so beautifully crafted that it reinforces the place of cinema as an art form and cultural beacon; ‘depressed’ because it is so beautifully crafted that does it get any better? How could a young film maker not be at least a little intimidated by The French Dispatch?
Inside
In all honesty l am new to the world of gaming but if the 2016 game Inside by Playdead is anything to go by, l will be following it much more closely. Yes, l am coming the party very late; 2016 was a while ago now but sadly I’ve only just discovered Inside. Almost Film Noir, this game marries a crisp visual language in a dystopian world.
Squid Squash
To create a TV show centred round a dystopian game show that kills off most of its main characters, all you need is green tracksuits, hot pink jumpsuits, black face masks, a giant girl doll, honeycomb biscuits, repeating staircases and blood. Lots of it. Full of iconic moments, Squid Game is claustrophobic, gruesome, dark and evil, but it somehow squeezes in hope. I’m still not sure how.
Warm Bodies
I like Zombie movies. Done. Yeah, yeah, yeah, l’ve heard all the criticism before so don’t bother arguing with me. A good Zombie flick is a little (or a lot) on the edge, not quite a Horror film. For some reason, Horror freaks me out but a Zombie film is the right balance of Suspense, Drama, Fantasy and in the case of Warm Bodies, Romance. Oooohhh, the Holy Grain; Romance and Zombies.
Twinkle Twinkle
With Covid lock down time on my hands and now having watched a few Korean films and TV series, l thought l’d share some of those actors that have immediately struck a chord with this novice Korean film and TV fan.
My Mister
She crushed a ladybug. This scene set the tone for the following episodes of My Mister, the 2018 tvN Korean drama series created by Studio Dragon (airing on Netlfix). New to Korean TV, l have just stumbled on My Mister and in equal parts, scarred and full of admiration for the shows ensemble cast and their stories.