Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Demented 1980

  ★★★½ Watched 12 Feb 2025

  Watched Arthur Jeffrey’s’ DEMENTED (1980). One of the better “I Spit on your Grave”-adjacent rape revenge video nasties, this features a unique off-kilter atmosphere that actually transcends its lowly exploitation pedigree with some tremendously moody photography, and a fantastic lead performance from Sallee Young as the demented Linda. Harry Reems is here under a pseudonym, as the sleazy cheating husband, once again transcending his porno pedigree. The penultimate scene where Linda is fully off her rocker as she feeds a…

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  Iron Warrior 1987

  ★★★ Watched 31 Jan 2025

  Third movie featuring the Italian barbarian Ator’s fantastical adventures is an improvement over the second, but plot-wise feels a bit empty. However, the cinematography is often surprisingly beautiful, with creative lens work reminiscent of 80s New Wave music videos. Shot on location in beautiful Malta so features some gorgeous ancient ruins if you’re into that sort of thing (as I am). Ator, played for the third and last time by Miles O’Keeffe is this time more of a disciplined swordsman…

Popular reviews

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  The Substance 2024

  ★★★★★ Watched 16 Jun 2024

  An absolute delight for a practical effects horror sicko like me. Assured, razor-sharp directing. Skewed, nightmarish angles. Wonderfully disgusting practical effects. A modern lovechild of ‘Society’ and ‘The Fly’. Demi Moore threw herself into this role, the best I’ve ever seen her. Margaret Qualley is a star. Dennis Quaid chews the scenery. So fun to experience this in a packed State Theatre filled with a Festival crowd who seemingly had no idea what to expect, walkouts a plenty. This is cinema.

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  The Conversation 1974

  ★★★★★ Watched 22 May 2023 1

  Watched Francis Ford Coppola’s THE CONVERSATION (1974). Absolute whopper of a paranoid thriller, but somehow gently understated and directed so deftly and expertly. All of the elements are perfect: Hackman is mercurial as Harry Caul and the supporting cast are fantastic, the piano score from David Shire is stunning and intermingles so well with Hackman’s diagetic sax playing. Just pure class.