Paul Schrader's biopic film about Yukio Mishima remains perhaps the greatest "biopic" ever made, mainly due to the fact that it disregards most of the conventions of the genre. The only aspect that resembles a typical biopic is that it uses Mishima's last day as a narrative tool to connect the rest of the film. … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Mishima: A Life in Four Chapter →

Smash Palace is an obscure New Zealand drama by director Roger Donaldson, made after his debut feature Sleeping Dogs (which Arrow also released recently) became the first feature on 35mm ever shot in New Zealand. Now New Zealand is a common filming location, but back then it was unknown territory. Donaldson was in the vanguard of … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Smash Palace →

Midnight Cowboy is one of key films of the late ’60s, and has endured over the years without losing any of its power. It was British director John Schlesinger’s first American film – he had been an important director of the British New Wave in the ’60s with films like Darling and Billy Liar. Schlesinger wanted to make the jump … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Midnight Cowboy →

My Generation is an utterly superficial documentary presented by Michael Caine about the decade that made this cocky working-class lad into a movie star. It's specifically about what was happening in London at the time through music, fashion, art and film. Caine is a perfect choice to present, because very few living actors personify that … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – My Generation →

The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick is the earliest Wim Wenders feature that is currently available in the English-speaking world. His debut film, Summer in the City (named after the Lovin' Spoonful song), seems to have been written out of history. Supposedly not very good and, like The Goalie's Anxiety, it's chockablock with Wenders' … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick →