These epic length Indians films keep disappointing even as I keep giving them a chance since I’m reluctant to completely shut out the output of a huge part of the global film industry. This one is said to be one of the best examples of Indian cinema and is particularly influential in its gangster genre. Unfortunately it is once again a disappointment.
Continue reading Satya (1998)
As you can easily tell from the primitive graphics, this is another RPG by Jeff Vogel.. I’d previous played the first two games of the Avadon series and if anything this unrelated Avernum series is even more well known. Confusingly for those who are less than fully devoted fans of Vogel’s games, this 2011 game is actually a remake of a remake of a game that he first made all the way back in 1995. It’s a pretty good indication that though this is very much a small niche, Vogel does have a big enough following to justify his making these games.
Continue reading Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Here’s yet another film by Woody Allen and though his career may be over, his back catalogue is so extensive that there is still plenty of interesting work to be explored. The director himself does appear in this one and as the character he plays is himself a director, it isn’t surprising that most people see this film as being autobiographical. Allen however has always denied this.
Continue reading Stardust Memories (1980)
Pretty much all of the Japanese films we’ve watched recently has been by Hirokazu Kore-eda and no wonder all of his recent output have been at least decent. After The Third Murder which experimented with a different type of genre, this one can be seen as a return to form featuring all of the director’s favorite themes and types of characters. Yet it’s different enough from his other works to feel fresh and to hit you hard with its emotions.
Continue reading Shoplifters (2018)
This would be the first of the DC films I’ve watched since Wonder Woman. I’d considered watching Aquaman but it seems to be all about the spectacle and special effects. I might have skipped this one as well but I rather like the idea of encouraging DC to go for more humor and ease up on the grimdark. Hopefully their whole stable of films will continue to improve now that Zach Snyder is firmly out of the picture.
Continue reading Shazam! (2019)
It’s been a while since I last read a proper anthology of science-fiction short stories. I came across this book quite by accident while browsing through Amazon Kindle recommendations and discovered that editor Jonathan Strahan has a whole series of these books. I bought this one because it’s first story is by Greg Egan and the last one is by Peter Watts. After finishing this, I wondered why I ever stopped buying anthologies.
Continue reading Reach for Infinity
This one percolated to the top of my lists due to its many rave reviews and the awards it won. But after only recently watching Sixteen Candles, it also makes for a fantastic counter-example of how get a film about an adolescent girl right, a claim made by no less an authority than Molly Ringwald herself. This director Bo Burnham’s directorial debut and it seems apropos to our times and this film that he first made his name as a YouTubber himself.
Continue reading Eighth Grade (2018)