Category Archives: World Cinema

My Life as a Courgette

June 5, 2017Animation, Film, French cinema, New ReleasesCeline Sciamma, Claude Barras, My Life as a CourgetteGareth Negus

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Gareth Negus reviews the new French animated film.

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Cannes Report

May 31, 2017Asian Cinema, Directors, Film, Film Festivals, French cinema, Future Releases, German CinemaAndriy Zvyagintsev, Arnaud Valois, Barry Keoghan, Bong Joon Hoo, Claes Bang, Colin Farrell, Elisabeth Moss, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Phoenix, Laurent Cantet, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke, Nahuel Perez Biscayart, Netflix, Nicole Kidman, Palme d'Or, Robert Pattinson, Ruben Campillo, Ruben Ostlund, Sean Baker, Sofia Coppola, Taylor Sheridan, Tilda Swinton, Un Certain Regard, Willem Dafoe, Yorgos LanthimosRon Swanson

Ron Swanson watched a lot of films at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Here’s what he thought.
I’ve been coming to the Cannes Film Festival for nearly 10 years, and it would be fair to say that the 2017 vintage will probably not go down as a great year. That being the case, there were still a number of outstanding films on display. Here are 13 of the best.

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Monoglot Movie Club: Tales Of Asian Vengeance

May 24, 2017Asian Cinema, Film, Monoglot Movie Club, World CinemaHong Kong, Takashi MiikeMostlyFilm

Part of an occasional series in which Spank The Monkey travels to foreign countries, watches films in unfamiliar languages, and then complains about not understanding them. This episode: Hong Kong and Japan, May 2017. Additional photography by The Belated Birthday Girl.

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Drunken Master

April 24, 2017Asian Cinema, Classic Films, Cult Movies, Film, Home VideoEureka Masters of Cinema, Jackie Chan, Yuen Woo PingIndy Datta

Jackie Chan’s first monster hit comes to Blu-ray today courtesy of Eureka’s Masters of Cinema. Indy Datta will take a look, just after he’s necked three catties of rice wine and vanquished his nemesis.

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No Rose Withers

March 13, 2017British Film, Classic Films, FilmGoogie Withers, John McCallum, Robert HamerBlake Backlash

Yesterday was Googie Withers’ 100th birthday. Blake Backlash celebrated by rewatching two of her films

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Monoglot Movie Club: Bipolar

January 27, 2017Film, Monoglot Movie Clubbipolar, brewdog, Monoglot Movie Club, pitbull, polandSpank The Monkey

Part of an occasional series in which Spank The Monkey travels to foreign countries, watches films in unfamiliar languages, and then complains about not understanding them. This episode: Poland, Christmas 2016

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Call Of Heroes

January 6, 2017Film, World Cinemabenny chan, call of heroes, Hong Kong, sammo hung, the portly kickerSpank The Monkey

Spank The Monkey reviews a Hong Kong action movie which benefits hugely from the contributions of the man they call The Portly Kicker. (It’s true, look it up.)

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Monoglot Movie Club: Not Catching Your Drift

November 21, 2016Film, Monoglot Movie ClubSpank The Monkey

Part of an occasional series in which Spank The Monkey travels to foreign countries, watches films in unfamiliar languages, and then complains about not understanding them. This episode: Dubai, October 2016.

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Kes

November 7, 2016British Film, Children's Films, Classic Films, Film, Home VideoBarry Hines, Chris Menges, David Bradley, Eureka, Ken Loach, Masters of Cinema, Tony Garnett, yer killed me awk yer bastadIndy Datta

As Ken Loach’s Cannes-garlanded I, Daniel Blake continues to draw audiences and make headlines, Masters of Cinema bring us a timely Blu-ray revival (in the shops today) of Loach’s beloved second film. Indy Datta runs the rule.

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