Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun | Parkpoom Wongpoom | Paween Purikitpanya | Songyos Sugmakanan | Visute Poolvoralaks
Jason says: “The first PHOBIA (called 4BIA in festival programs) was a sort of sampler, offering up four short horror stories from four different directors, also tending toward different types of horror. The follow-up anthology brings the number of stories
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Tae-gyun Kim
Starring: Asami Mizukawa | Dai Watanabe | Motoki Fukami | Tomohisa Yuge
Jason says: “It’s tough not to get just a little excited during the opening sequence of HIGANJIMA, because it makes a thoroughly enjoyable statement: That putting a stake through a vampire’s heart is for people who aren’t truly committed to
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Danny Mulheron | Donna Ackersten | Mark Hadlow | Peter Vere-Jones | Ross Jolly | Stuart Devenie
Thom says: “This film was so over-the-top in so many delicious ways and it was totally unexpected. It’s currently unavailable on NetFlix but I came across it at my DVD store and since I’ve had such great luck in the
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Rating: 2 cats
Director: Lukas Moodysson
Starring: Björn Almroth | Goran Marjanovic | Sanna Bråding | Thorsten Flinck
Thom says: “I once spent a week in Malmö, where Moodysson lives with his family, which I know is neither here nor there. I’m sorry to report that this once very promising Swedish director has lost his way. His TOGETHER
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 1 cat
Director: Harmony Korine
Starring: Dave Cloud | Harmony Korine | Page Spain | Paul Booker
Thom says: “If this wasn’t the worst film entered at TIFF 2009 I certainly wouldn’t want to see what was. This seriously is one of the worst disappointments of my entire life. Korine’s previous film MISTER LONELY was my #1
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Mogens H. Christiansen
Starring: Clara Maria Bahamondes | Jakob Cedergren | Jonas Wandschneider | Kim Bodnia | Stine Stengade
Thom says: “This kids film was way too unsophisticated for my tastes and other than a sweet feel to the story was nearly an anachronism. Two children discover a time-traveler and try to help him out of his centuries old
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Yonfan
Starring: Guangxuan Zhu | Joseph Chang | Kenneth Tsang | Terri Kwan | Wing Fan
Thom says: “It happens in 1950s Taiwan, during the period known as White Terror, when an anti-Communist crusade swept the island and hysteria reigned. On one fall afternoon, two young sisters come back from class to find their home ransacked
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Alex van Warmerdam
Starring: Alex van Warmerdam | Annet Malherbe | Eva van de Wijdeven | Gene Bervoets | Gijs Naber | Marlies Hueur | Marwan Kenzari
Thom says: “This Dutch gem is so droll that I find myself still thinking about months after seeing it at T.I.F.F. A woman who supposedly is dying lives in a large country house where she has assigned servant roles (including
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Don Roos
Starring: Anthony Rapp | Debra Monk | Lauren Ambrose | Lisa Kudrow | Natalie Portman | Scott Cohen
Thom says: “This film was adapted from the novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman. This didn’t really win me over but perhaps it was a matter of relating to it. Emilia Greenleaf (Portman) a young lawyer sets
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Francois Ozon
Starring: Isabelle Carré | Louis-Ronan Choisy | Melvil Poupaud | Pierre Louis-Calixte
Thom says: “French director Ozon was well on his way to becoming one of my favorite TOP 10 LIVING DIRECTORS with his 4 really strong showings WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS, UNDER THE SAND, 8 WOMEN, & SWIMMING POOL (my
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