Favorite films

Pinned reviews

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  Polite Society 2023

  ★★★ Watched 28 Apr 2023

  The Twin Geeks review

  “Tropes are tropes because they work"

  Nida Manzoor’s debut feature film Polite Society is a neat extension of the ideas and themes present in her short films. From her debut short film Arcade (2013), through to her last short Lady Parts (2018), Manzoor’s written and directed efforts engage with bright and energetic characters dealing with contemporary societal expectations of femininity. One of the hallmarks of Manzoor’s approach to filmmaking is her willingness to push boundaries and…

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  Ride On 2023

  ★★★ Watched 11 Apr 2023

  The Twin Geeks Review

  Jumping down is easy. Stepping down is hard.

  Stuntmen who worked in the Hong Kong film industry in the 1970s and 1980s seemed to be cut from a different cloth. As detailed in Junzi Wei’s excellent 2020 documentary, Kung Fu Stuntmen, stuntmen genuinely put their lives on the line, taking hits and falls all in the name of art. If these stuntmen weren’t the lucky ones who wound up with movie careers working in choreography, stunt…

Recent reviews

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  Fool's Paradise 2023

  ★★ Watched 02 Jun 2023

  I really enjoy Charlie Day as a comedic presence. His work as Charlie Kelly in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is fantastic, and after nearly two decades of that show's success, maybe it is time for Charlie to try something new. Here, Day plays a silent character in a Hollywood satire. He channels some of the all-time greats from the Jack comedy canon - Harpo Marx, Chaplin's Tramp, Tati's Hulot, Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean - a character that bumbles through…

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  The Yes Men 2003

  ★★★★ Watched 30 May 2023

  Activism via prank.

  The Yes Men critiques and deconstructs issues with early 2000s geopolitics, and has a fun time doing it. The hijinks are baffling, but well thought out, and receive the expected response from audiences in lecture theatres and conference halls internationally. The filmmaking around the edges isn't overly strong or complimentary to the central matters, but I feel that as a statement piece, it works as intended.

  If cringe comedy helps to get important statements out to the public, then by all means, prank away.

Popular reviews

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  Serial Mom 1994

  ★★★★ Watched 13 Mar 2021 5

  There is no greater feeling than seeing Matthew Lillard in a film you didn't expect him to be in.

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  Jawbreaker 1999

  ★★★ Watched 13 Mar 2021

  Mean Girls but, REALLY mean.