Watching the dismal Eragon sometime back seemed to confirm more than ever that prodigious use of CGI can’t rescue a script, no matter how stellar or enthusiastic the cast. There are however cases where all the elements come together to craft a film that is unique, imaginative and unforgettable. I’m glad to say that this was so for Pan’s Labyrinth ( Read more... )

Went to watch Zhang Yimou’s much anticipated Tang-dynasty extravaganza Curse of the Golden Flower the other day with darkobsidian, discoecstasy and RY following dinner at the Eastern Restaurant (Centrepoint).

Zhang’s last few films - Hero, The House of Flying Daggers - are at the forefront of a move to bring wuxia films to a wider, western ( Read more... )

You might say that the digital revolution has done fantasy movies a great service these past few years. After a slew of memorable films in the 80s, the nineties were as dry as a bone for the pointy-eared gang, presumably because of the tremendous costs involved in staging sumptuous latex epics before the advent of CGI, plus the fact that these ( Read more... )

Warning: Contains spoilers ( Read more... )

Few movie openings in recent memory have created such a stir even before it has opened. Stand down, "Passion of the Christ" and "The Last Temptation of Christ ( Read more... )

If you plan to watch The New World, here’s a tip for you. If you can maintain your interest through the first 5 minutes, you will probably enjoy the rest of it ( Read more... )

Let’s get some things straight - I like Ridley Scott’s films. Comparisons between Gladiator and The Kingdom of Heaven will abound, and I greatly enjoyed the former. For a start, no one knows better how to craft a historical epic replete with the requisite battle-gore and romantic exoticism. Fans of Gladiator and Black Hawk Down will not be ( Read more... )