SNAPSHOTFrom Disney and visionary director Tim Burton, the all-new grand live-action adventure “Dumbo” expands on the beloved classic story where differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Continue Reading
Movie review: The Wild Pear Tree (Ahlat Ağacı)
Immersing yourself in a slow-paced character drama that feels enough at ease with itself to take its own sweet time telling its tale is one of life’s great delights. You may not always like the characters or you may find yourself challenged by the story or the ideas contained therein Continue Reading
We need a hero! Raise a cheer for Mermaid Man
Aquaman is everywhere these days! On land, under the sea, and at last count heading for $1 billion in box office revenue which is going to place director James Wan in elite company. But while he’s an impressive figure, can he really compete with Mermaid Man from SpongeBob SquarePants who, Continue Reading
Forget the warm-and-fuzzies – Dalek Who is here
Once the things that pretty much everyone loves about Doctor Who is how human he/she is, a pretty impressive achievement for a Galifreyan with two hearts who may be a sworn protector of humanity and their home planet Earth but who most certainly doesn’t come from there. But what if, Continue Reading
Video essay: Technique not design defined early Disney animation
SNAPSHOT The real Disney style isn’t in design but in technique. Techniques that are universal and style agnostic, which is why when budgets were tight, Disney was notorious for repurposing animation from its archive to save time and they were able to recycle that work between two completely different characters Continue Reading
Book review: The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
The apocalypse is once again upon us. Not so good if you like running water, mobile phone service or law and order and human civility; but great if you, like me, are looking for a fresh take on the end of the world. With Peng Shepherd’s richly-intimate, vibrantly-magical The Book Continue Reading
Cinema bricks: The films of 2018 get LEGO’d
All hail end of year lists! Everyone loves to do them, including yours truly, and at their best, they provide great insight into what a particular thought was the best, and yes, worst, of the year. You might not always agree with them but it makes you reflect on how Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: A family repaired in If You Fall
SNAPSHOT In the wonderfully heartwarming animation “If You Fall” by Tisha Deb Pallai, a little girl named Lila is learning how to ride a bicycle, but is not yet ready to ride alone. As this is happening, Lila’s parents, he a struggling artist and she a television news reporter, are finding Continue Reading
ZZZZ Lucas the Spider is tired — but where can he nap?
It’s summer holidays time in Australia which means lots of food, lots of reading (for me, anyway) and lots of naps. After all, when else can you catch up on that lost sleep from throughout the year? Lucas the Spider, created by Joshua Slice, knows just what I’m talking about Continue Reading
Book review: Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
For all the existential car crashes it has left in its wake, humanity remains a curiously-upbeat species. It must be an evolutionary quirk that enables us to stare disaster and loss, much of it of our own creation, in the face and still believe, all evidence to the contrary, that Continue Reading